The 6 Most Dangerous Jobs With Low Pay

One might assume that taking a job with an obvious element of danger would lead to high pay and sometimes this is true. For example, UN Ambassadors receive higher salaries when serving in certain countries. But more often than not, those working the most dangerous jobs have salaries well below average. Often these dangerous occupations come with lower pay than most desk jobs. Here is a list of the 6 most dangerous jobs with low pay- all of which provide a salary lower than that of a CPA.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-829" height="514" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/lumberjack.jpg" width="770" /><br/><br/><strong>1. Fishermen </strong><br/><br/>With popular shows like “The Deadliest Catch” depicting the treacherous work of fishermen and fishery related jobs, most people are aware that fishing jobs are incredibly dangerous. Data collected in 2011 shows that for every 100,000 fishery related jobs there were over 121 work-related deaths, the most of any job field. Despite this, the average annual wage for the industry is $33,430.<br/><br/><strong>2. Loggers </strong><br/><br/>Another dangerous job with a reality show, “Ax Men,” based on it, logging workers make barely more than fishermen with a median wage of $33,630 per year. The dangers of logging work are obvious, and the rates for injuries are high. Fatalities related to work in the industry are 102 for every 100,000 workers.<br/><br/><strong>3. Truck drivers </strong><br/><br/>Truck driving is another occupation that lands on the list with a reality show showcasing its dangers. Though “Ice Road Truckers” focuses on the particular dangers of cold weather trucking, it isn’t just the truckers who drive over ice that are in precarious positions. Every year there are 24 trucking related deaths for every 100,000 drivers and the long hours and dangerous roads don’t add up to great pay either; the median annual salary for these workers is $34,550.<br/><br/><strong>4. Taxi drivers </strong><br/><br/>With auto accidents being the 5th most common cause of death in the United States, it’s no wonder taxi drivers and chauffeurs have earned a spot on this list. The fatality rate per 100,000 workers is on the low end compared to the others on the list at 19.7, but the pay is also the lowest – a mere $22,820 per year.<br/><br/><strong>5. Garbage and Recycling Collectors </strong><br/><br/>While garbage and recycling collection might not seem like a dangerous job on paper, it is important to remember the heavy machinery and equipment these workers are often tasked with operating. The median salary for this field is $32,930, while the fatality ratio is 41.2 for every 100,000 workers.<br/><br/><strong>6. Roofers </strong><br/><br/>Workplace accidents happen. When your work place is the roof of a home or building, those accidents can be deadly. With nearly 32 deaths for everything 100,000 roofers, the median salary of about $35,000 seems like pennies considering the dangers of the job.<br/><br/>When looking over this list, it is interesting to note that almost all of these jobs are vital to the everyday running and operating of our country. Imagine, for example, a busy city like New York City without garbage or recycling collectors. Or imagine the effect on the economy if there were a shortage of truck drivers to transport goods across the country. Each of the jobs on this list is both vital to our way of life and inherently dangerous. Considering all of this, it is a wonder these six very dangerous jobs offer such low compensation.<br/><br/>Jake Gordon suggests reading this article at <a href="http://www.noobpreneur.com/2014/01/27/five-reasons-workmans-comp-insurance-business/">http://www.noobpreneur.com</a> for additional information in regards to this article.

The 6 Most Dangerous Jobs With Low Pay

One might assume that taking a job with an obvious element of danger would lead to high pay and sometimes this is true. For example, UN Amba...

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Why Classroom Teaching Assistants Are Vital To Support Children With Special Educational Needs

The role of teaching assistants is to help keep teachers' stress and workload levels under control and offer learning, emotional and physical support to students, including those with special educational needs, so that they can enjoy mainstream education.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-826" height="278" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SEN-case-studies.jpg" width="375" /><br/><br/>Tasks often assigned to teaching assistants include, preparing the classroom prior to a class with any necessary equipment, preparing lesson materials by photocopying worksheets, listening to children read and highlighting any problem areas to the teacher.<br/><br/>Teaching assistants also sometimes take small groups of children with special educational needs out of a class and give them extra support in an specific area, such as literacy or numeracy using special needs resources. This can help children reach specific goals in their education that cannot be accommodated in a normal class. These goals could be personal - focused on behaviour and social interaction with peers or they could be more academic - to reach certain standards in various subjects.<br/><br/>The most important qualities in a teaching assistant are patience, kindness, social intelligence, reliability, trust, understanding and empathy. It is also important to have good intuition and be able to observe and control the dynamics of a classroom. If a teaching assistant fulfils all the above criteria, then they will undoubtedly have success in helping children with their school and personal needs. In the case of children with special educational needs it is also helpful for the teaching assistant to be familiar with SEN resources, which can be used to support the child's learning in and out of the classroom.<br/><br/>Children with special needs can find mainstream school very challenging as the pace of lessons can push the limits of their learning ability, this can be demotivating and lead to behavioural and attention issues in the classroom. Special needs learning resources can really come into their own when used to tackle these challenges. Furthermore, with the support of a teaching assistant these children can be successfully integrated into the mainstream classroom and flourish with the rest of the students.<br/><br/>It is very important to correctly identify the issues associated with specific learning difficulties in order to help the individual child achieve their best. It is necessary to focus on the specific issues rather than simply labelling the child as 'special' and treating them differently in all areas. It may well be possible for the child to participate in the majority of classroom activities and excel in certain areas, or on the other hand they may need support in the form of a teaching assistant or SEN resources in other instances. Either way the important point is to correctly identify the issues and address them accordingly both in and out of school.<br/><br/>Apart from special needs resources and teaching assistants, both parents and teachers can also play an important role in helping children with special needs to achieve their best. Whether by including children in classroom activities or setting special goals for the student, the teacher can ensure that special needs children improve throughout the school year. Parents can also implement reward systems at home and support the child in homework tasks, which should help motivate children when they return to the classroom. Praise and rewards are important both in and out of school, effective use of praise and reward systems can lead to greatly improved learning development.<br/><br/>Claire Hall is a former school teacher turned stay at home mum who blogs about education and curriculum for <a href="http://www.ldalearning.com">LDA Learning</a>.

Why Classroom Teaching Assistants Are Vital To Support Children With Special Educational Needs

The role of teaching assistants is to help keep teachers' stress and workload levels under control and offer learning, emotional and phy...

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Why Get a School Calendar

A school calendar is cool, useful, and personal. Such a calendar features the school logo, the contact details of the staff, and the most important events of your school year, highlighted in bright colours of your choice. We can print your calendar on fridge magnets, calendar coasters, or mouse mats where you can have easy access to it. We can customize your school calendar, according to your wishes. A School calendar is supposed to remind students, parents, or teachers of all the important events and programs of the school. Buying a school calendar is also perfect for fundraising purposes.<br/><p style="text-align: center"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-820 aligncenter" height="226" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/3161693_orig-300x226.jpg" width="300" /></p><br/><br/><h2><b>Calendar Coasters</b></h2><br/>Many people may assume that a traditional physical school calendar is obsolete, however, researches have already proven that about eighty percent of people still consider a school calendar – or any other print calendar for that matter – convenient. Most people still use calendars in their homes or workplaces.<br/><br/>You can make good use of a school calendar: it helps you recall the school events you want to remember.<br/><br/>For a teacher, <a href="http://www.schoolbears.co.uk/product-category/school-products/school-calenders/">school calendars</a> can be very practical: it helps her or him keep in mind the dates of school contests, educational trips, or class trips.<br/><br/>If you want some pragmatic and nice gift for your parents, consider getting them a customized school calendar, for example, a calendar coaster. It has a big advantage: it features the contact information of your school. Anytime your parents need to reach one of your teachers, they will know where to find the phone numbers of your school.<br/><br/>How will your school calendar look like? It is your decision. We can add the logo of your school, we can customize the colors of the school calendar and the contact details, and if you wish, we will highlight the most important school events. We can also mark the holidays, the days when your school is closed.<br/><h2><b>School Calendar Magnets</b></h2><br/>It would be a good idea to decorate your fridge with school calendar magnets. It would be more interesting and original than your everyday messages on the sides of the fridge. Our colored school calendar magnets come in a sleek 140mm x 95mm size. We add the school logo and the contact details to your school calendar magnet, along with term dates and the most important school events. Since the school calendar magnet features the contact information of your school, it may come in handy to your parents when they are in a hurry and they need the phone number of one of the teachers. If your siblings attend different schools, school calendar magnets with contact information may seem like a blessing.<br/><h2><b>School Calendar Mouse Mats</b></h2><br/>Our colorful, attractive school calendar mouse pads are very useful for parents. School calendar mouse pads feature the name and the logo of the school, as well as the dates of school events, highlighted in different colors. Parents just have a look at their mouse mat and they can see important school events at once.<br/><br/>You can select what kind of school dates you wish to highlight: school holidays and half terms, INSET days, bank holidays, or important school events. On our school calendar mouse mat, teachers are able to pass on a message to parents, like the preferred time of day when parents can call the school. We can even add the motto of the school, along with its address, phone numbers, email addresses, and websites. We can make your school calendar mouse mat personal, adding any wording that you wish.

Why Get a School Calendar

A school calendar is cool, useful, and personal. Such a calendar features the school logo, the contact details of the staff, and the most im...

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Finding Your Place In The New Economy

<img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-817" height="198" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/act-300x198.jpg" width="300" />Years ago, people would graduate college, land a job, and stick with that same company until they retired. That’s basically because job hunting was such an ordeal, and trying to find a new job was often very difficult.<br/><br/>Today, though, the economy has changed, and recent college grads no longer have to worry about choosing a company they’ll stick with for life. Sure, if the company is great and you love your job, you could easily stay with the same company forever. But today, you can also find your place in the new economy in the following ways.<br/><br/><strong>Go back to school.</strong><br/><br/>If you’re having trouble landing a job, you don’t need to snag one just yet or be stuck in the career path you chose. Instead, you can go back to school to increase your skills or gain new ones completely. Maybe you’ve worked in the hospitality industry for years and decided you don’t like it. This doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a job you don’t like. Instead, you can go back to school to become something else, allowing you to change fields without much of a hassle.<br/><br/><strong>Use the Internet to land something new.</strong><br/><br/>Many years ago, job hunting was often hard because the process took forever. You would have to scour the newspaper classifieds to see who was hiring, and then you’d have to mail in a resume and cover letter if you wanted the open position. This hassle is why most people who landed a job at 22 never strayed from that company.<br/><br/>Today, the Internet makes job hunting much easier. There are plenty of online job boards like <a href="http://home.monster.com/">Monster</a> or <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com">CareerBuilder</a> that place open job listings in one easy to use location. Plus, by sending your resume electronically, you don’t have much of a wait time to learn if you are given the chance to interview.<br/><br/>If you’re currently holding a job that you don’t like, you can easily look online to see what other companies are hiring for your current position. This allows you to easily find a better paying job or one with better benefits with ease.<br/><br/>Social media sites like LinkedIn have also improved the job economy. Now, recruiters are scanning these sites in order to find people that may fill an open position with one of their client companies. Instead of taking the time to find a job you want, the perfect job may come to you.<br/><br/><strong>Consider a freelance job.</strong><br/><br/>In today’s economy, you don’t have to work for one main company in order to earn a good living. Instead, you can opt to work as a freelancer. There are plenty of freelance jobs out there, so you just need to decide what type of work you want to do. Plus, many freelance jobs have additional perks. Not only are many freelancers receiving benefits and periodic raises like traditional employees, but some of them also get to enjoy other benefits that you won’t find in a traditional setting. For example, <a href="http://www.rev.com/transcription">professional transcriptionists can work online</a>, which allows them to work comfortably from their own home and usually set their own schedules.<br/><br/>Some freelancers spend their career working on a variety of projects for a variety of clients, and others spend their career working as a freelancer for one specific company. If freelancing is something you’d like to consider, it’s important to do your research first to decide which position is the right fit for you.<br/><br/>Guest Author: Lizzie Lau is a freelance writer and online marketing consultant with <a href="http://www.seomap.com">SEOMap.com</a>. Lizzie combines personal opinions and research to create appealing and informative articles on various topics.

Finding Your Place In The New Economy

Years ago, people would graduate college, land a job, and stick with that same company until they retired. That’s basically because job hunt...

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Time Management Skills For Taking The Insurance License Exam

Taking the insurance license exam in your state is a big step in life because it can help you accomplish the goals you need so you can begin your career as an insurance agent. Working full time and going to school can be difficult, which is why it is important to plan out all of the time you will need to learn the material and pass the test with flying colors. By breaking down what you need to learn into sections and keeping simple time management tips in mind you will be able to balance your schedule and be successful on test day.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-815" height="256" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nunst003.gif" width="384" /><br/><h2><strong>Take the Time You Need during Preparation</strong></h2><br/>The average person preparing to take the Life and Health or the Property and Casualty licensing exams will need around 40 to 60 hours of dedicated study time in order to pass. This varies, of course, depending on the state where you will take the test and the type of insurance licensing exam you are taking. A quick look at <a href="http://www.insurance.wa.gov/agents%2Dbrokers/education/pre%2Dlicensing%2Deducation/exam%2Dpass%2Drates/">first-time exam pass rates in the state of Washington</a> show that around half of all test takers will take more than one try to pass.<br/><br/>In order to give yourself the best chance the first time, examine your study habits. If you find yourself too busy to put in a few hours each day to learn the material, do not be afraid to spread it out. However, be aware that you should always go back and cover past sections again so that you do not forget what you have learned over time. Take notes, highlight portions of text that you find important and do your best to memorize as much as you can throughout each section. Be sure to treat each practice test at the end of a section in your prep book as if it were the real thing. It is also a good idea to break down concepts to their simplest form so that you can understand the differences between each and make your way through the exam.<br/><h2><strong>Tips for Having Enough Time During the Test</strong></h2><br/>In addition to making sure you have enough time to study all of the material beforehand you also want to be efficient when taking the test so you do not run out of time. It is natural to rush during the insurance licensing exam because you feel stressed out, but a key to passing the test is to breathe and read through each question carefully. The same goes for reading each answer carefully and knowing that all of the information you need to choose the correct answer comes within the question itself.<br/><br/>If you find yourself stuck on a particular question, take note of it and move on to the next. Answer those that you are confident about before going back to the ones that are more difficult. That way you will ensure that you have enough time to get through the entire exam.<br/><br/>At the end of the day, remember that your success on the insurance licensing exam rests on your ability to manage your time effectively. Carve out some time from your schedule to review concepts from your training courses and review all of the materials leading up to the exam. When you start the test, keep your composure and rely on your instincts and preparation in order to move through it effectively. Doing <a href="http://www.americasprofessor.com/">so will help you pass the insurance exam</a> and get your license so you can begin your career as an insurance agent.<br/><br/>Written by Julia Porter at America’s Professor. Julia has successfully passed the insurance license exam in Georgia.

Time Management Skills For Taking The Insurance License Exam

Taking the insurance license exam in your state is a big step in life because it can help you accomplish the goals you need so you can begin...

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Business Analyst-Career Profile

In the post credit-crunch era the fortune of Business analysts is on the rise: Companies in all industries have shown a fresh interest in IT investments while at the same time they are determined that their money has a real return. According to a survey compiled by The<a href="https://www.rec.uk.com/" target="_blank"> Recruitment and Employment Confederation</a> (REC) for KPMG, Business Analysts are the IT staff most in demand for permanent and contract roles.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-810" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/business-analysis.bmp" /><br/><br/>Here is some important information you need to know if you think embarking on this career.<br/><h2><strong>Job description</strong></h2><br/>The role of Business Analyst has evolved over the years from someone who documented business processes and applied technological expertise to someone who also provides project management skills, getting involved in the end-to-end development of project plans. Today Business Analysts have a role of strategic importance for the companies they work for: They are expected to investigate and analyse business activities ensuring that organisations get the most from their limited IT and change management resources. They are likely to be the key change facilitators within an organisation. A business analyst is judged by their ability to deliver effective solutions which provide tangible business benefits usually within short timescales.<br/><br/><strong>Typical business analyst tasks include:</strong><br/><ol><br/> <li>Testing and implementing development changes.</li><br/> <li>Identifying areas for improvement.</li><br/> <li>Providing staff training.</li><br/> <li>Consulting senior management.</li><br/></ol><br/><h2><strong>Education & Qualifications</strong></h2><br/>Although it is not compulsory to have a degree specifically related to this area, Business Analyst degrees are becoming more and more popular. A common route to becoming a Business Analyst is to complete a degree in areas such as Business Management/Computer Studies and then complete an MSC in Business Analysis. However, in order to get the best start in your Business Analyst career, it is recommended that you look at specialising as early as possible to show your passion and commitment of your chosen career path.<br/><br/>Many Business Analysts move in to the position from a technical background or another business role. If you fit that description, you can sharpen your Business Analyst acumen by undertaking some relevant training. Before choosing a course, you should check that it is accredited by the BCS (the Chartered Institute for IT) to make sure that the certification you receive at the end of the training will be nationally recognised by employers.<br/><h2><strong>Key Skills</strong></h2><br/>Due to the evolution of the traditional BA role Business Analysts are now expected to be great communicators, tactful diplomats and problem solvers - with the ability to understand and respond fast to rapidly changing business environments.<br/><br/><strong>They need to demonstrate:</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>High level awareness of IT infrastructure and software development and maintenance methods.</li><br/> <li>Familiarity with the end to end project processes and IT delivery cycle.</li><br/> <li>Ability to quickly gain an understanding of a business context and support of the business requirements from project initiation to project closedown.</li><br/> <li>Self-motivation, organisation and meticulous attention to detail.</li><br/> <li>High quality delivery to strict deadlines.</li><br/> <li>Strong presentation, communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>Salary Expectations</strong><br/><br/>Business Analyst jobs can be a very lucrative career path especially at senior levels. An average salary in London is £67, 000 and can reach up to £87, 000 as seniority increases. Starting salaries are also usually high as most business analysts have already professional experience that adds to their income.<br/><br/>Katerina Kardamaki is a Marketing Executive and an avid blogger. She is currently writing articles for <a href="http://www.exec-appointments.com/jobs/analyst-research/" target="_blank">Exec appointments about Business Analyst jobs </a>based on her experience in Recruitment.

Business Analyst-Career Profile

In the post credit-crunch era the fortune of Business analysts is on the rise: Companies in all industries have shown a fresh interest in IT...

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The World's Richest Women And Their Wealth

So often, women become invisible in various sectors due to these sectors traditionally – and most often currently - being dominated by men. Though, these sectors have traditionally been the domain of men this is increasingly changing - due to recognition of equality. There are, then, no longer good reasons to exclude women from any positions of power or placement, by virtue of their sex. Women are doctors, scientists, engineers, etc., and are <a href="http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/16808/women-are-just-as-capable-as-men-they-dont-need-reserved-seats/">equally capable</a> as men in these capacities. To really see this in action, you need only see how many women are some of the richest people in the world.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-807" height="366" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/708662-gina-rinehart.jpg" width="650" /><br/><h2><strong>Liliane Bettencourt </strong></h2><br/>With an estimated wealth of $30 Billion, <a href="http://www.therichest.com/celebnetworth/celebrity-business/men/liliane-bettencourt-net-worth/">Ms Bettencourt</a> is regarded as the wealthiest women in 2014. The source of her wealth makes it obvious why: She is the principle shareholder in the world’s largest cosmetic company, L’Oreal. The company was founded by her father and she remains the sole heir. She is also is the richest <em>person</em> in France, as of March 2013.<br/><h2><strong>Christy Walton</strong></h2><br/><a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/christy-walton/">Ms Walton</a> is the richest woman in America and second richest person in the world, with a net work approximately of $28.2. Like Bettencourt, Walton inherited her wealth – but via marriage, rather than blood. She is the widow of the John Walton, who is the son of Wal-Mart’s founder, Sam Walton. Wal-Mart, as <a href="http://retailindustry.about.com/od/walmartworldslargest/">About.com reports</a>, “is both the largest retail chain in the U.S. and the largest retail organization in the world.” Her wealth then is self-explanatory.<br/><h2><strong>Miuccia Prada</strong></h2><br/>Perhaps the most interesting, Ms Prada’s surname clearly gives away the source of her enormous wealth – at an estimated $12.4 B. Miuccia took the lead, after her mother, for the fashion company Prada. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/miuccia-prada/">She holds a doctorate</a> in Pedagogical Sciences from the prestigious Univeristy of Milan. Pedagogical science is the study of education, in its various formats – Ms Prada has no doubt used her intellectual gifts and skills when she made the company grow.<br/><h2><strong>Abigail Johnson </strong></h2><br/>With an estimated worth of $12.7 B, Ms Johnson is the President of <a href="https://www.fidelity.com/">Fidelity Investments</a>. The company specialises in all sorts of financial services, from stock trading, various kind of <a href="http://www.digicash.co.za/services/">debit collections</a>, and so on. Ms Johnson is <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/abigail-johnson-the-1600000000000-woman-8092776.html">also regarded as</a> “the most powerful woman in the global fund management business”.<br/><h2><strong>Anne Cox Chambers</strong></h2><br/>The 93-year old is regarded as the oldest of the richest women in the world. With an estimated worth of $12 B. James Cox was a US Presidential candidate in 1920 and was the founder of <a href="http://www.coxenterprises.com/">Cox Enterprises</a>, the organisations she now leads. The company is a leader in “communications, media and automotive services”.<br/><br/>These fascinating and justifiably rich women help show that men alone are not the only people rich on this planet. Yes, many of these inherited their wealth, but so did many men. But inheriting wealth is not the same as keeping or maintaining it: that they’ve been able to do so, and in some cases grow the business, is testament that they’re not just acting from glorified hand-outs but hard work.<br/><br/>This article was written by James Matthews who is an avid reader and tech geek. He's also a fan of the great outdoors and when he's not writing up a storm that's where you'll find him ;)

The World's Richest Women And Their Wealth

So often, women become invisible in various sectors due to these sectors traditionally – and most often currently - being dominated by men. ...

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Best Ways To Boost Your Architecture Business

Running your own business is never easy and it is definitely quite hard in the competitive architecture industry. It is really important that you find just the right ways to make the most out of your architecture business and that you find the competitive edge against your competitors. To help you out here are some of the best ways to boost your business.<br/><h2><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-804" height="362" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/diagram_five_no_base.jpg" width="550" /></h2><br/><h2><strong>Find The Right Customers</strong></h2><br/>At the start of any business it is really important to stay active when it comes to finding the customers. It is really important that you stay active when it comes to finding the customers because this is the right way to boost your business.<br/><br/>As your business grows, you will start getting more name for your business and this usually means more high paying customers. But you shouldn’t wait for them to knock on your door. It is really important that you stay active and go after the customers.<br/><br/>For instance, at the moment social media is the best place to be to find your business new customers. This <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/salesforce-partner-zone/who-are-your-customers-how-to-find-out-using-social-media">Guardian article provides</a> plenty of good tips for looking for clients on social media. It is important to stay active and keep your eyes open.<br/><h2><strong>Improve Your Sales Skills</strong></h2><br/>Many small architecture businesses aren’t necessarily the best at selling their services. This is naturally because as an architect you aren’t taught to sell and it is something that doesn’t come automatically for you.<br/><br/>It is a good idea to brush up on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/learn-what-customer-focus-really-means-in-sales-2011-1">your sales skills</a>. This can be a little, simple change that will make all the difference when it comes to finding just the right customers for your business. It isn’t anything hard to do and will bring plenty of benefits for your business. Make sure you also utilise these skills you learn in the other sectors of your business as well.<br/><h2><strong>Work With Innovative Companies</strong></h2><br/>In business, it is really important to find the right business partners around you. For an architecture business it is really crucial to find innovative companies to work with, to push your own business forward as well.<br/><br/>It is a good idea to look around for great construction companies and companies that provide materials for buildings. There is plenty of innovation going on in the sector and you can really find a lot of creativity out there. For example, you should get to know <a href="http://www.vector-foiltec.com">Vector Foiltec for innovative ETFE</a> material.<br/><h2><strong>Focus On Your Portfolio</strong></h2><br/>For small businesses and freelancers working in the creative field it is essential to focus on showcasing your talent as well as possible. It is really important that you spend some time really <a href="http://www.firstinarchitecture.co.uk/portfolio-tips-for-architecture-students/">fine-tuning your portfolio</a> and make sure you have plenty of previous work to show for potential customers.<br/><br/>This means that you should try to get as much initial work done as possible. Sometimes it might mean that you need to do some work for free. Make sure you utilise any work you did during your studies as well. And as you keep getting more and more work remember to update your portfolio further, as it can really help you get more work.<br/><br/>Mark Daggert is really interested in finding simple solutions to boost small businesses. He also loves to learn more about online marketing and he is passionate about travelling all around the world.

Best Ways To Boost Your Architecture Business

Running your own business is never easy and it is definitely quite hard in the competitive architecture industry. It is really important tha...

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Which Messaging Apps are Better for You?

With so many messaging apps available across mobile OS, it’s important to know which apps you should trust with your data. Many messaging, claiming that they’re free, sell your personal data to advertisers. This is not the only problem a free messaging app could have. Those apps constantly get hacked by hackers. Those hackers, such as ‘anonymous’, often sell your data to advertisers themselves or post the data online so other people can see it. Free messaging apps are not the only apps with privacy and hack problems. Many paid apps have been hacked and compromised as well. WhatsApp which was hacked last year by a Palestinian group called KDMS Team. Another popular app that have been hacked multiple times is Viber. There’s good reason to believe that the attackers are once again members of the hacker group calling themselves the Syrian Electronic Army, which debuted last week when they crashed Viber’s Customer Service, published details about some of Viber’s users and Tweeted a warning to Viber users to uninstall the app.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-800" height="350" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/messaging-apps.jpg" width="650" /><br/><br/>Millions of US and Canadian users of popular photo sharing app Snap chat had their phone numbers and usernames exposed online after the data was captured by anonymous hackers. The leak comes months after Snap chat was warned of a major security hole. The New Year may have only just started, but for Snap chat developers it has already been marked by the greatest security fail in the mobile app’s history. An anonymous group of hackers has compiled and dumped a database containing phone number information of 4.6 million Snap chat users, along with their usernames, to a webpage simply labelled snapchatdb.info.<br/><br/>Although the last two digits of the leaked phone numbers have “for now” been censored out “in order to minimize spam and abuse,” the group says one should feel free to contact them and ask for the uncensored version of the database, which they agree to release “under certain circumstances.”<br/>More than four-and-a-half million Snap chat usernames and phone numbers leaked online Tuesday after anonymous hackers posted the information on a website called SnapchatDB.info, the group confirmed to Mash able Wednesday.<br/><br/>The database of information was available for download as an SQL dump or CSV file via SnapchatDB.info, which is currently suspended. View a cached version of the site, here.<br/>Between mobile operating systems there a many great apps you can choose . <a href="http://www.mod-gadget.com/">Mod Gadget</a> has a great post showing the best <a href="http://www.mod-gadget.com/10-whatsapp-alternatives-messaging-apps-protect-privacy/">messaging apps for iOS and Android</a> phones and tablets.

Which Messaging Apps are Better for You?

With so many messaging apps available across mobile OS, it’s important to know which apps you should trust with your data. Many messaging, c...

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Money Or Reputation: What Matters More To Job Seekers?

How closely do job seekers look at the business practices of their potential employers? In other words, do employers’ ethics count in the job market? Idealists and those who promote corporate social responsibility will say that of course job applicants consider the ethics and values of companies before signing a contract. Some studies even show that the emerging employment market (especially Gen Y) is very concerned that their new employers are ethically responsible when it comes to business, environmental and social matters. However, some people contend that the measures used in these studies are too vague, too subjective and too easily manipulated for them to be valid. They contend that when it comes to choosing a job, money, security and the chance of advancement still hold more sway than ethics, values and principles.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-793" height="274" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/jobSeekers3.png" width="303" /><br/><br/><strong>For example:</strong><br/><br/>Pat Auger (associate professor of information systems and e-commerce at Melbourne Business School), Timothy M. Devinney and Grahame R. Dowling (professors of strategy at the University of Technology, Sydney), Christine Eckert (senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Technology, Sydney) and Nidthida Lin (research lecturer in the School of Business at the University of Western Sydney) conducted what they felt was a very objective study on <a href="http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-much-does-a-companys-reputation-matter-in-recruiting/">the value of a company’s reputation in recruitment</a>.<br/><br/><strong>To be as thorough as possible, they divided participants into three categories:</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>MBA and executive MBA students</li><br/> <li>White collar office workers</li><br/> <li>Those involved in manual labour, medical and government/public service</li><br/></ul><br/>They included people who were employed and not looking to change jobs, as well as those who were employed part-time or were unemployed and looking for jobs.<br/><br/><strong>To ensure that the concept of “reputation” was fully covered, they divided it into three categories:</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Corporate reputation – how the company is perceived as a whole.</li><br/> <li>Workplace reputation – the company’s reputation as a good employer.</li><br/> <li>Social reputation – the company’s involvement with external stakeholders and its commitment to sustainability.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>The results</strong><br/><br/>The results are interesting, although maybe not that surprising – not really.<br/><br/>Despite what we’d all like to think about how we’re evolving as employees and acting more ethically responsible ourselves by choosing ethically responsible employers, all we really want is for our new bosses to show us the money.<br/><br/>In real terms, when all three categories of reputation are added together, the value of reputation in an employment contract is 16.3% for MBAs (social reputation amounts to just 3.2%), 11.1% for non-MBA workers with jobs (social reputation amounts to just 2.6%) and 11.4% for part-time or unemployed workers (social reputation amounts to just 2.4%).<br/><br/>Even when it comes to extremely good or extremely bad reputations, socially ethical practices are bottom of the log.<br/><br/>According to the authors of the study, the results mean that companies don’t need to spend vast amounts of time, effort and money on corporate social responsibility programmes as a means to attract highly qualified recruits. Instead, they can focus on improving salary packages, perks and advancement programmes.<br/><br/>What it doesn’t mean, however, is that corporate responsibility programmes can fall by the wayside. So, even if you don’t <em>need</em> a rock solid reputation for environmental sustainability to compete in the <a href="http://skilledmigrantjobs.com/">international employment market</a>, you still owe it to your staff, the public and to your company to maintain high standards of business integrity.<br/><br/><strong>Ethics play an important role in business, if not recruitment</strong><br/><br/>How companies behave ethically, in business and in other spheres, influences employees’ attitudes, as well as public perception. Alejandro Russell says that four areas where <a href="http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/benefits-importance-ethics-workplace-7414.html">ethical influence is most strongly felt</a> include:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Protection of business assets: Employees won’t feel it’s ok to steal company assets (tangible and intangible) if the company treats employees, shareholders and clients ethically in the first place.</li><br/> <li>Productivity and teamwork: Employees who feel they work for an ethically sound company tend to work harder and more efficiently than those who think their company is a little shady.</li><br/> <li>Public reputation: This not only translates into goodwill but also into increased consumer/customer loyalty.</li><br/> <li>Decision-making: It’s easier to make decisions consistently when ethics are clearly defined and the company has a culture of sticking to them. Decisions are immediately more transparent and decision-makers more accountable.</li><br/></ul><br/>Acting ethically is not all that difficult. All businesses have to do is uphold the <a href="http://josephsoninstitute.org/business/blog/2010/12/12-ethical-principles-for-business-executives/">12 Principles identified by the Josephson Institute</a>, some of which include:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Be honest in everything you do.</li><br/> <li>Value personal integrity in employees.</li><br/> <li>Always keep promises.</li><br/> <li>Be fair in everything you do.</li><br/> <li>Have genuine compassion for others.</li><br/> <li>Always be accountable for your actions and decisions.</li><br/></ul><br/>When executives and managers lead by example, employees will follow. And when a company has a good reputation for ethical business and social practices, it’s only natural that it will attract new recruits with unimpeachable moral character.<br/><br/><a href="https://plus.google.com/114379590424881487967" rel="author">Jemima Winslow</a> has a very vocal conscience that doesn’t let her get away with ethically iffy decisions. But then she’s never had to decide between long-term unemployment and a company with questionable morals. Given enough time on the breadline, her conscience might sing a different tune

Money Or Reputation: What Matters More To Job Seekers?

How closely do job seekers look at the business practices of their potential employers? In other words, do employers’ ethics count in the jo...

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Enrich Your Word Proficiency with Ease

Are you searching for a powerful tool that helps you to improve your writing skills? Then you will simply love to <a href="http://worddetail.org/">visit this website</a> as it has all the useful tools required to improve your writing skills including the resource for thesaurus reference. This website is helpful for people from all walks of life especially for students and language learners. A website should be lucrative and charming enough to sustain the interests of its users and Worddetail is a strong website that can meet all the requirements for a language enthusiast.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-790" height="360" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/0.jpg" width="480" /><br/><h2><strong>Meet client requirements free of cost</strong></h2><br/>One of the best attractions of Worddetail is that it is a tool for language improving which can be used free of cost. Language plays an important role for the effective writing of content or an essay and this software tool help the students and writers to use the language in the most efficient way. As you know that websites are available for the global users and anybody can take advantage of this website to know the language better and use it appropriately.<br/><h2><b>Easy to use</b></h2><br/>The tools available in the website are highly beneficial to highlight the content of a website. It is a cost-effective solution to meet all the requirements to understand a language deeply in the simplest way. As a website that helps you to understand a language in the most efficient way, Worddetail is useful for the visitors to understand a particular word in a clear manner. It has to be ensured that the tools of this websites bring the appropriate meaning and synonyms of every word in an easy to understand way.<br/><h2><b>Enrich your word proficiency</b></h2><br/>A suitable software tool or website can help you to enrich your proficiency of English word permanently and effectively. A person can fulfill many of his goals easily by creating sentences that can express meaningful ideas. Worddetail fulfill your dream to make sentences with real panache.  It is a great website to visit for people who wish to improve their writing skills and change your writing practices in a better way.<br/><h2><b>Bookmark the website</b></h2><br/>Worddetail is the perfect tool that always there to understand the meaning of every word in detail. Everybody who would love to enrich their word power should bookmark this website to improve their language proficiency. Once you visit the website and use the tools, you will realize the incredible support that it provides to a visitor. It is important to have a good vocabulary to excel in the field of writing and Worddetail is a powerful website that helps you to enrich with words.

Enrich Your Word Proficiency with Ease

Are you searching for a powerful tool that helps you to improve your writing skills? Then you will simply love to visit this website as it ...

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A Beginners Guide To Self-Improvement

There are so many ways in which you can improve yourself, they don’t cost any money and don’t take much effort. The disparity in the world today is vast and wide ranging and we all need to work together in an attempt to spread equality. We live in an age of economic uncertainty and I wholly appreciate that people aren’t willing to sacrifice their own potential gain for others but there are other ways to help that doesn’t involve sacrifice.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-787" height="310" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/success.jpg" width="387" /><br/><br/>Self-improvement isn’t about others totally either, it is about making yourself a better persona and that in turn can help others. There are so many different ways in which you can go about this and the main arguments will be put forward in this article, it really doesn’t take much effort and the enjoyment and satisfaction you can gain from it is great.<br/><br/>Just take a step back from your blinkered view of life and try and approach the situation from the perspective of those less fortunate that you. Making a change to someone else’s life is perhaps one of the greatest things you can do as a human being and can help you improve no end as a person. There are many other, much more selfish ways to improve and I will explain them too in this article<br/><h2><strong>A Beginners Guide To Self-Improvement</strong></h2><br/>Thinking of others is perhaps the best way to <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Fit">make yourself into a better person</a>. There are so many people in this world that are in more unfortunate positions than we are in and it is sad to think that so few of us do anything to help.<br/><br/>It really isn’t hard to donate a little bit of money to charity each month or even volunteer once a week.<br/><br/>I appreciate we all have busy lives and working to help others isn’t something we all think about but I genuinely believe it is a great way to enrich lives.<br/><br/>Just take some care and think of the hardship others are going through on a daily basis, the stuff we all moan about is so trivial compared to the situation others find themselves in.<br/><h2><strong>Help the Planet</strong></h2><br/>Helping the planet is another great way to improve yourself. You can do this in a wide variety of ways and all of the ways differ in results and the amount of effort required. Saving money on your energy bills and thus reducing your carbon footprint is a brilliant way to go about it.<br/><br/>Researching in order to find the <a href="http://www.aguaflux.com">best shower head for water saving</a> is a good way to start, this involves only a little bit of investment and you can save yourself a lot of money and at the same time reduce dramatically the amount of water you waste in your home.<br/><h2><strong>Get Fit</strong></h2><br/>This is another brilliant way to help yourself. Hit the gym and change your diet, there are too many people out there who are obese or just overweight and that is down to pure laziness, it is so easy to lose weight and it can help you in so many aspects of your daily life.<br/><br/>Liam is an author with wide ranging industry experience. He loves to write about home improvement and helping the environment, he graduated with a degree in English Language.

A Beginners Guide To Self-Improvement

There are so many ways in which you can improve yourself, they don’t cost any money and don’t take much effort. The disparity in the world t...

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How Employers Can Develop Learnerships To Attract Quality Candidates

If you are an employer, you may be considering implementing a learnership. There are several benefits to doing so. There is no better way to attract skilled workers to your company than via a learnership program. But why would you want skilled workers? Because skilled workers have a higher chance of doing the job correctly the first time. Not only that, but they are, on average more independent. Skilled workers also have a higher degree of motivation to do their job right and may be less likely to quit their job with a company.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-784" height="488" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/74.jpg" width="650" /><br/><h2><strong>Learnership Development Stages</strong></h2><br/>In order to be able to provide a learnership, your company will first need to navigate through several stages. First, a skill shortage must first have been identified by the Services Sector Education & Training Authority (SETA). Then, the occupation needs to be defined accurately, and all of the skills and knowledge you require must be included. The more details you include at this stage, the better. Doing this will allow all who view your learnership description to know right away if pursuing the opportunity is right for them. A clear description like this also helps to save your company time, because it serves to screen out those who may not qualify.<br/><br/>The learnership description and other information must then be forwarded to the SGB, or Standards Generating Body. This organization will take the learnership information and head a group comprised of several individuals, including yourself, representatives of your employees and service providers. Together, the group determines the details of the learnership further, developing assessments, and stages of assessments and the ideal goal of a successfully-completed learnership. The Unit Standards for the learnership are then developed, which will each receive their own assessment guide.<strong><br/></strong><br/><h2><strong>Necessary Additional Steps</strong><strong><br/></strong></h2><br/>Every employer wanting to offer a learnership will, in addition to the learnership development steps above, complete additional tasks. Once the learnership agreement and contract have been developed and entered into, you can apply for a learnership grant. This grant will cover some of the costs associated with offering a learnership at your company.<br/><br/>You will also want to prepare for the possibility that unemployed learners will want to apply for your learnership. This will require the development of an employment contract. However, this particular contract will need to comply with the Minister of Labour's definition of a learnership.<br/><br/>After a contract has been developed, copies of the learnership agreement must be made so that all involved parties can sign and keep a copy. Then the identification of a mentor, which is an important step, as the mentor will be the individual who guides the learner.<br/><br/>The provider will be the next choice. They will be the ones who will provide all of the theoretical learnership portions. However, it's important to choose a provider who is SETA-accredited.<br/><h2><strong>Organizing the Learnership<br/></strong></h2><br/>Because of the fact that continual assessments must be made throughout the learnership process, time will need to be set aside for this. Time will also be needed to allow the learner to reflect on their experiences, as well as to meet with various members of their support team. It must also be ensured that all records of any results in relation to the assessment be accurately recorded.<br/><br/>It is incredibly important that all who work for the company, especially those in management and those who will be the peers of the learner are well aware of your company's learnerships. Their full support of your decision to offer learnerships should also be a requirement. Clear and regular communication with your company's human resources department will also be necessary, as it must be ensured that the learner is complying with the contract they signed, and that all records have been properly processed.<br/><br/>Developing a learnership takes time. Rushing the process will only result in inadequate training being provided, which benefits no one. A good learnership is one that has been developed as part of a commitment to improve the employment situation and employee skills.<br/><h5><strong>Citations:</strong></h5><br/><ul><br/> <li><a href="http://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/how-start-learnership-guide-employers" target="_blank">Western Cape Government Site - Guide for Employers</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.serviceseta.org.za/Learner/Pages/Learnership.aspx" target="_blank">SETA</a></li><br/></ul><br/>Guest author Rina Misor writes on a variety of topics on learnerships, from both the perspective of the company as well as the candidate seeking a learnership. She recommends <a href="http://www.learnershipjobs.com/">South Africa Learnerships & Jobs</a> as a resource for candidates.

How Employers Can Develop Learnerships To Attract Quality Candidates

If you are an employer, you may be considering implementing a learnership. There are several benefits to doing so. There is no better way to...

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Preparing For Obamacare: What You Need To Know

It’s all about health insurance these days. That might be a good thing -- or a bad thing -- for you. Knowing how it affects you will be crucial to your business success, so let it first be known that how big your company will make all the difference.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-781" height="403" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/HC_403x403_2.jpg" width="403" /><br/><br/>According to the newest health reform law, believe it or not, if you have 50 or more full-time employees working in your company, you absolutely will have to provide health insurance. It’s a requirement now. The smaller companies -- those under 50 in workforce -- won’t have to, but they still need to inform associates about the law, ensuring new healthcare plans would be in place just in case such businesses wish to offer them.<br/><br/>That’s not all you need to be aware of, though. First off, there’s….<br/><br/><strong>Exchanges: What Are They?</strong><br/><br/>Think of malls and supermarkets. What do you get from them? Options. Think of it from a health insurance standpoint, and you have a recipe for numerous companies shopping around for those ‘options,’ looking for the best buy. That’s what the inevitable health insurance exchange is all about, and they should be effective this year. Keep an eye out for it.<br/><br/>Understanding group coverage, though, would take a bit of education, as the ever-changing law will allow businesses with 100 or fewer hardworking associates the ability to purchase all kinds of health plans through the <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/shop/">Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchanges</a>. You still, however, have the option to contract with insurance providers traditionally. The scope is just so broad now that it’s almost overwhelming. Do the proper research to find out what plans might be right for you and your company.<br/><br/><strong>What About the Costs?</strong><br/><br/>If there ever was a scale with weights shifting back and forth, this would be it. Some say the costs will skyrocket; others say it will go down. If you were to strategically evaluate the statistics, you might find that the larger small businesses required to provide health insurance will end up having to spend more. That might not be much of a big deal, though, given the fact that apparently according to many surveys, 90% of businesses with 51 or more employees already provide health coverage.<br/><br/>It’s very black and white, though, and in a bad way: for instance, you might have a particular business crossing that 50-worker threshold and having to pay up a huge $40K hit just for that one employee. The law is the law, and it says what it says.<br/><br/>However, there are ways to circumvent that:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Don’t Hire</li><br/> <li>Terminate More</li><br/> <li>Downsize to Part-Time</li><br/> <li>Outsource</li><br/></ul><br/>Sadly, those are negative words in the employment market. In the long run, it saves the companies money.<br/><br/><strong>And the Size and Plan Requirements?</strong><br/><br/>What’s funny is how the line gets blurred between ‘small business’ and ‘big business.’ Quite frankly, according to the new <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/exp/affordable-care-act/index.html">Affordable Care Act</a>, you might still be considered a small business if you have over 50 employees -- yet, you now have to by law provide health insurance. It seems unfair, unless your viewpoint is that of the employee, which ultimately can change the landscape for the labor market as a whole.<br/><br/>It seems that the new law under Obama focuses and favors small business. In fact, you might see the administration stressing that openly.<br/><br/>Still, even the smaller businesses -- even those ran by a single entrepreneur -- have to, by law, provide a set of “essential health benefits,” such as maternity and newborn care, emergency services, mental health and substance abuse services and such concepts as preventive care and prescription drugs.<br/><br/><strong>Are There Any Tax Credits Then?</strong><br/><br/>That’s an obvious question given all the expenses a business would have to pay under the new law. The good news is there are some tax credits available, but only to businesses with fewer than 25 full-time employees. As I’ve mentioned already -- Obamacare seems to benefit the small business quite well, and that’s okay.<br/><br/>You’re looking at a tax credit of 50% on health insurance coverage. Last year, it was 35%. Bear in mind that offering health insurance can be a great way to increase quality of candidacy, thereby increasing the prospects of providing better business, quality of service and product to your demographic. Overall, it can’t be anything else other than good for business, starting from the ground up with your employees and what you provide for them.<br/><br/>Moreover, because the Affordable Care Act will provide those tax credits and subsidies as a way for workforces for many businesses to pay the premiums based completely on the income, there may be opportunities for you as a business to save your associates some funds by sending them to those individual exchanges, in turn saving them money as well.<br/><br/>In other words…. Play your cards right, and you can benefit well.<br/><br/><strong>Other Administrative Requirements and Moves of Which to Take Notice</strong><br/><br/>As if this analysis weren’t over quite yet -- whenever there’s any kind of reform within the law -- in any niche and not just in this particular area -- there’s a lot of ground to cover. As it stands, the Affordable Care Act does require certain provisions, such as the mandate for businesses to report health coverage on W-2 forms, supplying employees with a general summary of benefits coverage.<br/><br/>Other issues may not have a considerable effect at all on how money is figured, such as the limitation now for employee annual contributions to all pretax health flexible spending arrangements, also known as FSAs, which is $2.5K. Look for inflation to cause fluctuations there in the following years.<br/><br/>Additionally, the law specifically states that small-group health plans must provide rebates in the event that 80% of premiums aren’t spend on the medical care and improvements over administrative costs and profits. Redistribution, reallocation and readjustments -- that’s the name of the game with a lot of these factors.<br/><br/>Look, too, for certain tactics to make use of a lot of the legal provisions in the Act, such as splitting businesses, cutting hours and hiring subcontractors, all to allow for workforces to stay under 50. It may tough for those bigger businesses, though, with only the choice to pay the penalties over providing health coverage. <a href="https://www.upcounsel.com/lawyers/new-york-city-business">Weigh your options carefully and definitely consult with your business lawyer</a> about what might be the best way to go.<br/><br/><strong>It’s a Changing Landscape</strong><br/><br/>Above all else, though, regardless of whatever you take from all of this, you’re going to want to do one thing with your business -- change with the times. Don’t, and you’ll lose money, you’ll lose time, and you just might lose a lot of your employees.<br/><br/>Change can be scary. But at the end of that tunnel, you’ll find that everything will be just fine during Obamacare.<br/><br/>Matt Faustman is the CEO at UpCounsel. You can follow his business insights on Twitter at @upcounsel.

Preparing For Obamacare: What You Need To Know

It’s all about health insurance these days. That might be a good thing -- or a bad thing -- for you. Knowing how it affects you will be cruc...

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History Of Boy Scout Patches

<p style="text-align: left" align="center"><strong>History of Boy Scout Patches</strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left">Four dedicated men who wanted a group where they could teach young people to interact with each other and learn life skills founded the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) at the turn of the 20th century. As the group grew over the past century, its membership has reached a record high of over 2.7 million members. Since its founding, the organization has imparted valuable life skills to over 110 million people.</p><br/><p style="text-align: center"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-778" height="557" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/GI-0104.1L.jpg" width="614" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left"><strong>The BSA’s Goal</strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left">The organization’s mission is to train young men and instill traits of responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance. They do this by encouraging members to participate in educational programs and group activities when they are young. As members get older, they are taught career-oriented material. All scouts are required to learn important life skills and values, the most important of which are trustworthiness, good citizenship, and outdoors skills.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left"><strong>History of Merit Badges</strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left">Merit badges are symbols that young Boy Scouts wear to show their achievements and the skills that they know. They are awarded to scouts who have participated in, and excelled at certain activities.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left">When the scouting program migrated to the U.S. in 1910, the organization issued a list of 14 badges that were never made or awarded. In 1911, the BSA created their first batch of the original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_57_merit_badges_(Boy_Scouts_of_America)">57 available merit badges</a>, of which only a handful remain. As time progressed, newer and more applicable badges, based on the social climate, often replaced those that were discontinued.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left"><strong>Evolution of Badges</strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left">Some of the main factors that influenced the change in the merit badge system include social climate, popular interests, applicability, the scouting program’s interests, and merging.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left">One interesting thing about social climate and popular interest is that it has affected the development and discontinuation of merit badges. One of the original 57 merit badges that was discontinued in 1952 was the “Interpreting” badge which focuses on language and communication. 20 years later, as interest in ancestry and family history increased, the BSA added a “Genealogy” badge to their repertoire.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left">Another of the original badges that was altered in 1972 was the "First Aid to Animals," which was reborn the following year as a badge for “Veterinary Science” because it was more applicable. Many badges also changed over the years because of merging. In the 1970’s, all of the badges related to plants and crops were merged to create a new badge that encompassed all of them, namely, the “Plant Science” badge.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left">Merit badges have also changed over the years based on the interests and focuses of the BSA. For example, the “Civics” badge was split into four badges in 1952 in order to place more focus on each of the four consequent badges. These included “Citizenship in the Community," "Citizenship in the Nation," "Citizenship in the World," and "Family Life” which have all made it onto the mandatory badge list for all Eagle Scouts.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left"><strong>The Future of Badges</strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left">Currently, scouts can <a href="http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx">perform the tasks</a> related to each of the corresponding badges and earn more than 130 badges. The face of the merit badge landscape is ever-changing with new badges being added or removed as necessary. One new badge that was announced by the BSA and NASA in 2011 was the Merit badge for “Robotics.” It is a part of the STEM badge collection (which currently consists of 31 badges) that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left">We can expect to see the rise and fall of many badges in the years to come. If you are interested in purchasing custom made badges to award your children or if you decide to start your own scout troop, you will need to <a href="http://www.artexgroup.net/">find a verified and reputable badge dealer</a>. You too can become a part of the worldwide scouting association by working along with the BSA and children in your community.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left">Written by James Kirk at Artex Group providing custom embroidered patches in The United States. You can follow Artex Group's business ramblings Twitter account @ArtexGroup</p>

History Of Boy Scout Patches

History of Boy Scout Patches Four dedicated men who wanted a group where they could teach young people to interact with each other and learn...

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Top 10 Essential Checklist For University

<h2><strong>10 Things To Bring To University</strong></h2><br/>New college students are almost always under-prepared for the academic or social environment that a university provides. However, in most cases, that feeling can be prevented through forward-planning. Here are ten items that new college and university students won't want to be without during their first semester.<br/><p style="text-align: center"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-775" height="258" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/kalamazoo-laptop-orchestra-c543ad3d97c08563.jpg" width="368" /></p><br/><br/><h2><strong>1. Quarters</strong></h2><br/>Unless your university has a card system for their washers, dryers, and parking meters, every student is going to need their own stack of college gold. There are simply never enough quarters, and scouring the far corners of your dorm searching for one more coin to dry your last load is stress you can avoid.<br/><h2><strong>2. Duct Tape</strong></h2><br/>There's nothing it won't fix well enough to save the day in a desperate situation when you need a quick solution.<br/><h2><strong>3. Cleaning Supplies</strong></h2><br/>If you've never cleaned a bathroom, it's time to start. The spread rate of all manner of diseases across college campuses is high enough to warrant a little preparation for cold and flu season. Plus a regular clean will create a prime working environment and keep your fellow housemates happy.<br/><h2><strong>4. Multiple Flash Drives</strong></h2><br/>Technology fails from time to time. Usually, that time is the night before a final paper is due. Save yourself from the head-desk moment and keep your files backed up.<br/><h2><strong>5. Power Strip</strong></h2><br/>Again, technology is everywhere these days and there are simply not enough outlets to satisfy your energy starved appliances. In fact, you might want to invest in a pack.<br/><h2><strong>6. Ear Plugs</strong></h2><br/>Perfect, and usually quite necessary, for dorms are loud places, and there will always be someone who leaves early for class and leaves their alarm on to blare throughout the hall until they get back.<br/><h2><strong>7. Paper</strong></h2><br/>This one may seem obvious, but all school supplies are going to be more expensive at your school bookstore than they are at larger stores right before you leave for school. If you play your cards right, you can pick up enough for a couple bucks that will last you your entire college career.<br/><h2><strong>8. Coaxial, Ethernet, and HDMI Cables</strong></h2><br/>These are, without a doubt, the most forgotten items that are sold out in retail stores surrounding a college town during move-in even though they prepare a stock of thousands. Save yourself the hassle and bring some from home.<br/><h2><strong>9. Boots and Heavy Jacket</strong></h2><br/>The first time it snows on campus it's easy to spot the people who forgot that winter exists in the college bubble. Don't be that guy in multiple hoodies unable to navigate the icy sidewalks. Being prepared will save you from that moment of clarity lying face-up on the sidewalk.<br/><h2><strong>10. Rechargeable Batteries</strong></h2><br/>Constantly buying batteries to power your electronics is simply throwing money down the drain. In college, every spare pound is precious, so invest a little to save yourself the headache.<br/>Students can prepare by reading as many lists as possible from sites like SparkLife and About, then writing their own after researching their university thoroughly. Every experience will be different, but these few simple suggestions are universal.<br/><br/>Sally is a post graduate and enjoys visiting universities to offer advice to students. She attends <a href="http://www.richmond.ac.uk/content/student-affairs/orientation.aspx/">Richmond University Orientation</a> and encourages students to make the most of this and other useful resources to get prepared for their year.

Top 10 Essential Checklist For University

10 Things To Bring To University New college students are almost always under-prepared for the academic or social environment that a univers...

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Epson Ink Cartridges for High Quality Print Outs

There was a time when home computing was a luxury enjoyed only by a few privileged people. Nowadays, with the advancement in technology and change in economy, many people can simplify their life with computers and related devices. A lot of people started to use printers also at homes along with computers and <a href="http://www.inkcolour.co.uk/epson-ink.html">Epson ink cartridges</a> are the first choice for most of them when it comes to printer cartridges.  The main reasons for the popularity of these cartridges are because of its high quality and long life. Apart from that it is cost effective and easy to maintain.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-772" height="461" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ink100ml.jpg" width="556" /><br/><h2><b>For smooth functioning</b></h2><br/>As you know that a printer largely depends on the quality of the ink cartridge that uses for the smooth functioning of it. When it comes to printer cartridges, you can find plenty of products in the market. However, many prefer to use Epson Ink cartridges as it offers smooth functioning due to its advanced technology. Choosing the right brand is important for people who use printers at their homes or offices as without good cartridges, one cannot take quality print outs from your printer. You can find a wide variety of options online for cartridges and if you do a comparison of rates and other features, you will realize why most people prefer Epson cartridges for printers.<br/><h2><b>High quality ink cartridge</b></h2><br/>Epson ink cartridges are famous for the color quality of its prints. Since it uses the most advanced technology to make outstanding ink cartridges, it outdoes the other popular brands in the market. The technology of Smart valve make it a favorite of the users of printers as it helps to make smaller print dots that helps to accumulate different colors into a correct image. Ink cartridges from Epson are the right choice for people who wish to take high quality print outs. It is a product that can cater almost every printing need of the customers.<br/><h2><b>For maintenance</b></h2><br/>It is important to keep electronic equipments in good condition including your printer. If you want to maintain your Epson printer in good condition, you need high quality cartridges like Epson ink cartridges.  The best feature of Epson ink cartridges is that presence of a small electronic chip which senses and informs the printer if its cartridge is out of ink. However, one should keen to handle the cartridge as the mishandling or careless touch can damage the chip and obstruct the smooth functioning of the printer. Otherwise, you will not find a better cartridge for your printer than Epson ink cartridges.

Epson Ink Cartridges for High Quality Print Outs

There was a time when home computing was a luxury enjoyed only by a few privileged people. Nowadays, with the advancement in technology and ...

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Have Schools Embraced "Flipped Learning"?

As a new generation of tech savvy learners are coming into school classrooms, the concept of flipped learning has been catching on with teachers. This leaves many to wonder whether more schools will embrace the idea of flipped learning as a way to meet the needs of technology oriented students.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-769" height="300" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Ypsilanti_Farewell_4-thumb-400x300-143874.jpg" width="400" /><br/><br/>Flipped learning is a concept that has been gradually catching on with a number of schools and has become popular with educators due to its ability to improve the learning process and meet the needs of a tech savvy student base. The concept known as “flipped learning” acquired its name because it flips the conventional concept of the classroom lecture followed by homework exercises.<br/><br/>Instead of the traditional classroom setup, the classroom lecture becomes the homework assignment. The time in class is spent on the practice exercises and collaboration. Within the last year, the concept of flipped learning has been used by teachers to keep students engaged by creating a student-focused classroom where the learning responsibility is flipped from the teacher to the student.<br/><h2><strong>So, what exactly is flipped learning and how does it work?</strong></h2><br/>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_teaching">flipped learning model</a> reverses the traditional classroom learning concept by using videos in place of the classroom lecture. Teachers create an eight to ten minute video related to the lesson using a laptop or tablet PC. The PC is used to create a video using a whiteboard as the teacher explains the concept on the whiteboard and makes notations.<br/><br/>The video is then uploaded to a classroom website, YouTube, or other type of platform where the student can accessed the video using their home computer, smartphone, or tablet PC. If the student lacks access to the Internet outside of school hours, the teacher creates the video on a flash storage device or DVD to enable the student to watch the video on school computers or using their DVD player, if they have one at home.<br/><br/>Since the video is the homework assignment, the class time is dedicated to applying practical applications to the lesson. This allows creative exercises to be applied to the lesson which keeps student engaged in learning and deepens their understanding of lesson concepts. Students can also collaborate on the assignment using active problem solving which makes learning fun and interesting. A one-to-one tutoring session or small group tutoring with the teacher can also be made part of the learning experience.<br/><br/>For a visual explanation of flipped learning, see <a href="http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/">this fantastic infographic</a> on the Knewton website.<br/><h2><strong>What are some of the advantages of flipped learning?</strong></h2><br/>Schools that have deployed the flipped learning model in their classrooms have experienced success in terms of student engagement and improved learning. The concept emerged several years ago when two chemistry teachers in a Colorado school district began to videotape their classroom lessons for students that were absent from class.<br/><br/>By videotaping the lesson, it was inadvertently discovered that the students found it to be a valuable experience. Not only did it allow the students to play the video as many times as necessary instead of the teacher explaining the lesson multiple times over, it also was found that students needed the interaction from teachers more than they needed teachers to disseminate the information.<br/><br/>As a result, the two chemistry teachers started distributing lessons in the form of short video sequences as homework assignments. During the first year of the experiment, the teachers were able to double the number of lab lessons the students were doing because of an improved learning model.<br/><br/>Another school in Detroit where three quarters of the student body are low income minority students experienced a 33 percent drop in the freshman failure rate during 2011 as the result of flipped learning. The school also had a number of discipline issues which dropped by as much as 60 percent in 2011 from the year before. Graduation rates, attendance, and test results all increased during that year with parental complaints dropping from more than 200 complaints to only seven.<br/><br/>The above scenarios are just a few of the benefits of how flipped learning has improved the classroom environment. Other advantages include:<br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Immediate Feedback</strong>: Flipped learning provides teachers with the time to provide individual help to students and to explain complex lesson concepts. During this time the students receive immediate feedback which helps them to learn faster while increasing their confidence.</li><br/> <li><strong>Reduced Frustration</strong>: Using the traditional classroom model, students would often get frustrated with homework because they did not understand the information delivered in the classroom lecture. With the flipped learning model, they can replay the video and work on the exercises in class where teacher and peer assistance is readily available. This eliminates incomplete homework assignments that result from student frustration.</li><br/> <li><strong>Added Class Support</strong>: Students that may not have access to technology or parental support at home receive additional support in the classroom as the result of the flipped learning model. By working on exercises in class, the students receive more guidance and support from the teacher which typically does not occur in a conventional classroom environment.</li><br/> <li><strong>Focused Learning</strong>: With a flipped learning model, students watch the video and then write down any questions they have. When the exercises are done in class, this allows the teacher to address specific questions which immediately targets weaknesses in the understanding of lesson concepts. This provides a more personalized learning experience that specifically addresses the needs of each student.</li><br/> <li><strong>Increased Student Interaction</strong>: Flipped learning models increase student interaction because the role of the teacher changes to learning coach. Instead of the teacher delivering a lecture which the students may or may not absorb, the teacher is proactively answering questions, encouraging student interaction, and supporting the learning of each individual student.</li><br/> <li><strong>Improved Parent Communication</strong>: Instead of non-productive parent conferences where you typically discuss the student’s conduct in class, flipped learning changes the way teachers talk with parents. This is because the focus has been shifted from behavioral issues to interactive learning since the students are more engaged in a flipped learning environment.</li><br/></ul><br/><h2><strong>Are there any challenges associated with flipped learning?</strong></h2><br/>Like anything else, flipped learning can have its challenges and disadvantages. The good news is that many school districts have been able to work around a lot of the challenges to reap the rewards that a flipped learning model offers. Some of the challenges include:<br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Meeting the needs of Every Individual Student</strong>: Some will challenge the fact that some students learn better in the traditional classroom environment. However, the workaround for this is the video presentations which allow students to view them as many times as necessary.</li><br/> <li><strong>Access to Technology and Internet Connectivity</strong>: Students from lower income communities and families may not have access to the technology and Internet connectivity to take advantage of a flipped learning model. Many school districts try to work around this problem by recording the videos on DVD to enable the student to view the videos on school computers, in the community library, or potentially on a DVD player at home.</li><br/> <li><strong>Sitting in Front of a Computer Screen</strong>: Some argue that child obesity is caused by the amount of time that is spent sitting in front of a computer. If homework time involves sitting in front of a computer for prolonged periods of time, this potentially can add to the amount of time they spend in front of a computer. This concern is circumvented by the use of smartphones and mobile devices where the student is not required to sit for any extended period of time.</li><br/></ul><br/><h2><strong>Do schools continue to embrace flipped learning, or is it just a passing fad?</strong></h2><br/>The fact that the up and coming students entering the classroom have grown up in a technology infused world means that something has to change with regard to learning models. Most of today’s students know no world without the Internet and mobile devices. Therefore, students nowadays do not perceive learning in the same way as student did one decade ago and most definitely several decades ago.<br/><br/>If educational institutions continue to cater to the traditional classroom, the odds are that we are going to lose a lot of students and likely turn them off to classroom learning altogether. Technology has changed the way we accomplish daily activities from a personal standpoint, in the workforce, and during our leisure time. Why wouldn’t it change learning models to meet the needs of tech savvy students?<br/><br/>It is important to emphasize that flipped learning is NOT about setting up a course online. Instead, the classroom interaction and personal contact still exists and is be being used in a more effective way. This is accomplished by adding a valued learning experience to the content instead of simply delivering the content in a lecture.<br/><br/>Flipped learning isn’t just about watching videos either. Instead, it is more about integrating the videos with interactive exercises and online toolkits that facilitate the learning process. All of this while still maintaining the teacher support a student needs. Except it is done in a more effective and productive way.<br/><br/>For the above reasons, education trends and statistics point to the fact that a flipped learning model is continuing to be embraced by more school districts and is likely not just a passing fad.<br/><br/>The new buzzword in the education world is “flipped learning” which makes it seem like it is just a passing fad. The reality is flipped learning appears to be fitting better into a world that now has unlimited access to all types of information. This allows students to explore the content as a homework assignment and then apply it during class periods.<br/><br/>In the past and before the explosion of the Internet, the traditional class lecture was the only means of delivering content such as facts, scientific processes, mathematical concepts, stories, and other information. With the Internet providing massive amounts of information, a single individual can no longer compete with this type of information availability. This changes the role of the teacher where the teacher assumes the role of a coach and helps the student to grasp and work with concepts, and master the information pertinent to the lesson.<br/><br/>Another reason for the rise in popularity of the flipped learning model is that it also significantly changes the role of the student. Students now become active participants, partners, and teachers in their classroom environment which means they are using 100 percent of their class time. Instead of the teacher doing the giving and the student doing the taking, flipped learning converts a classroom where student interact with one another, as well as the teacher.<br/><br/>For the reasons discussed here, it is highly unlikely that flipped learning is just a passing fad that will eventually fall by the wayside. This is especially true in a society where students cannot perceive learning without any type of technology or Internet connection.<br/><h2><strong>Some useful resources:</strong></h2><br/>7 things you should know about flipped classrooms - <a href="http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7081.pdf">click here</a><br/><br/>Forbes <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/pascalemmanuelgobry/2012/12/11/what-is-the-flipped-classroom-model-and-why-is-it-amazing-with-infographic/">infographic</a> on flipped classrooms<br/><br/>A big thank you to <a href="http://www.ourict.co.uk/">Our School ICT Department</a> for assisting with this article.<br/><br/>Kristine is a school teacher with over ten years’ experience in the classroom, with a deep emphasis on ICT and technology. Away from the classroom, Kristine likes to blog about her activities and share her knowledge with others.

Have Schools Embraced "Flipped Learning"?

As a new generation of tech savvy learners are coming into school classrooms, the concept of flipped learning has been catching on with teac...

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Assistive Technology Devices

The growth of science and technology has made life easier for people especially to those who are handicapped. Those who find difficulty in moving or doing things, they can use assistive tools or technology devices. Assistive devices can help handicapped people in various ways. Those who would like to know more about the <a href="http://www.unlimiters.com/" target="_blank">assistive technology devices</a> should check out this article. From this article, one will get to know more about the assistive technology devices.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-765" height="300" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/assistive1.jpg" width="400" /><br/><br/>There are many devices that handicapped people can use. One of the most important things that can be used by people who are disabled is a mobility scooter. With the help of the mobility scooter, one can move from place to another without any difficulties. This kind of scooters has helped many people who disable.<br/><br/>There are many companies that manufacture mobility scooters. Therefore, one has to find a good company that manufactures mobility scooters. The first thing that one has to look for in a scooter for disabled people is quality. If the quality of the mobility scooter is good then it will not get damaged very.<br/><br/>Price is also another important factor which one has to keep in mind. There are different types of scooters. Some scooters are expensive in price while some are very cheap in price. If one wants to save money, one should buy a scooter that is cheap in price. One will be very satisfied and happy after buying the mobility scooter. The price of the mobility scooter would be different in different sources.<br/><br/>There are many different sources from where one can find more information about the assistive technology devices. The best place to look for more information is the internet. If one visits the internet, one will find all the details about the assistive technology devices. One can also place an order for the mobility scooters from the internet itself. One can check the price of the assistive technology devices from the web.

Assistive Technology Devices

The growth of science and technology has made life easier for people especially to those who are handicapped. Those who find difficulty in m...

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Grad Students: Avoid The “ABD” Doldrums

Going to graduate school is a huge accomplishment, and many grad students balance school with work and family. Unfortunately, though, many grad students fall victim to ABD, all but dissertation. In order to graduate with a Ph.D., grad students are required to not only complete their coursework, but also required to complete their dissertation. Some students complete all the coursework and then become distracted by real life to complete their dissertation. Some stay victim to ABD for years, while others never actually get around to completing their dissertation and instead remain ABD for life.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-762" height="478" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Books.jpeg" width="640" /><br/><br/>If you’re currently in grad school, the following are five tips to help you avoid ABD doldrums.<br/><br/><strong>1. Create a schedule.</strong><br/><br/>When you were completing your coursework, you likely used a schedule in order to maintain a work/home/school balance. When it comes to your dissertation, you need to stick to the same schedule. Create a schedule that you can use to plan all of your activities, from personal life to school life and professional life. This way, you will see where you have time to do your research and start writing your dissertation. If you must, pretend like your coursework is not yet complete and use the time you used to be in class to research and write your dissertation. This can help keep you on pace to complete your dissertation in a decent amount of time.<br/><br/><strong>2. Give yourself a deadline.</strong><br/><br/>In most graduate courses, the dissertation does not have a specific due date, and this is what causes students to put it on hold. Instead of allowing this to be the reason you suffer from ABD, give yourself a deadline. Once you have that end date in place, rework your schedule to find the time to perform your research and start writing your paper.<br/><br/><strong>3. Use small incentives.</strong><br/><br/>While attaining your Ph.D. should be incentive enough to write your dissertation, sometimes it’s not. In these instances, it’s a good idea to give yourself small incentives. For example, give yourself some type of reward for every hour you spend doing research. This can be something as simple as enjoying a piece of candy to buying yourself something pretty. Continue to use these incentives until you finally complete your dissertation.<br/><br/><strong>4. Don’t lose momentum.</strong><br/><br/>Once coursework is completed, many students decide to give themselves a week or so off school before starting to write their dissertation. While this break may seem like a necessity, it can also force you to lose momentum. Once you stop familiarizing yourself with school mode, it will be hard for you to get back in. Instead of taking a break after your coursework is complete, stick to it and continue acting as if nothing has changed. This will help you find the time to perform your research and write your dissertation.<br/><br/><strong>5. Get help.</strong><br/><br/>There are plenty of tools out there that can help you research and write your dissertation quickly. For example, using a tool like <a href="https://evernote.com">Evernote</a> can help you to better organize your research documents. You can save everything from personalized notes to web URLs to PDFs in one easy to access location. Plus, you can access your Evernote account from anywhere, so it doesn’t matter where you’re doing your research, you’ll still be able to access and save what you find wherever you are.<br/><br/>You should also consider utilizing academic research transcription. For example, if you take audio recordings of interviews or audio notes during field research, you may have a hard time going through it all to access the information you need. Instead, you should invest in a <a href="http://www.rev.com/transcription-services/academic-research-transcription">reputable academic research transcription service</a> to transcribe your audio files for you. This way, you’ll have a hard copy of your notes to make research easier on you.<br/><br/>Guest Author: Lizzie Lau is a freelance writer and online marketing consultant with <a href="http://www.seomap.com/">SEOMap.com</a>. Lizzie combines personal opinions and research to create appealing and informative articles on various topics.

Grad Students: Avoid The “ABD” Doldrums

Going to graduate school is a huge accomplishment, and many grad students balance school with work and family. Unfortunately, though, many g...

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How Inadequate Language Education Affects North America

According to the <a href="http://www.dailytexanonline.com/opinion/2013/10/06/americans-suffer-from-inadequate-foreign-language-education">Daily Texan</a>, the number of Americans who speak more than one language is much smaller than the number of Europeans who are multilingual and this is proving to be a problem especially when it comes to competing culturally and linguistically. Only 15-20% of Americans are able to communicate in more than one language compared to Europe where more than half the population is able to communicate in more than one language.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-759" height="349" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/icestorm_us-621x414.jpg" width="621" /><br/><h2>Where is the problem?</h2><br/>The problem seems to be rooted in the second <a href="http://www.thelanguageclass.co.uk/private-lessons/">language lessons</a> that are offered in university but the other seemingly bigger problem is attitude; Americans see English as the only language that they need and they will rarely bother to learn additional languages because according to them, they don’t need them.<br/><br/>This attitude is a recent one; historically, American culture was a lot more bilingual. It came with the immigrants in the 19th century. They held on to their native languages in every way – they spoke them and even published legislation using them. This however changed in the 1880’s, a huge influx of these same immigrants started to develop nationalist movements; Americanization was their agenda and part of that was holding on to English as the only language. Slowly, their native languages disappeared resulting in the monolingual America that we have today. By the time the 1st World War came around, America identified itself as a country that spoke only English and even legislation that had been written in second languages was translated.<br/><br/>Today, research shows that teaching children to speak and write more than one language has great benefits; it helps not just in linguistic development but in cognitive and educational development as well as cultural benefits. Despite this, second languages continue to be absent in school curriculums throughout America. According to Arabic professor Mahmoud Al-Batal, “We don’t just teach language but also culture. By doing so we emphasize the importance of understanding the ‘other.” He adds, “A person who speaks another language is perceived as more intelligent, smarter and a better student.” This opens up opportunities; because you are perceived as smarter it’s easier to get jobs, and better paying jobs at that.<br/><br/>American students complain that second languages are too hard and time consuming to learn and they are allowed to get away with it. Even when the languages are available in school, students are not encouraged to learn them. Where these programs are actively pushed on the children, they have been highly successful. The only problem is that where they are available they are very expensive and adults have very little access to them.<br/><h2>Can be fixed?</h2><br/>There is no easy fix to the monolingual problem of America we as legislators, teachers, parents and future leaders can do something about it. If we can encourage policies for second languages if we want to interact effectively with other countries.<br/><br/>One reader of the Daily Texan commented: We have a fundamental problem in our country with American Exceptionalism (and therefore English exceptionalism as well). Remember the Republican debates the last election? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyP2M0DTch8">Mitt Romney</a> and John Huntsman were ridiculed for speaking French and Chinese. They were called 'unamerican' for speaking other languages. We certainly love being exceptional, even if it means we are horribly undereducated.<br/><br/>By <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101973207045057356613/posts/?rel=author" target="_blank">gabriele monti</a><br/><br/>Gabriele loves teaching languages and writing news about language learning for www.thelanguageclass.co.uk

How Inadequate Language Education Affects North America

According to the Daily Texan , the number of Americans who speak more than one language is much smaller than the number of Europeans who are...

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Current Job Market For Certified Nursing Assistants

Over the years, Certified Nursing Assistants have been ranked among the most coveted health-related professions in the beginner or sub-ordinate level. Also known as home health aides, CNAs provide basic patient care like dressing, bathing, feeding just to mention a few. This one-on-one interaction with the patients makes them companions and friends with the same and thus CNAs are considered as the backbone of long-term care. Nursing homes, private homes and hospitals that have fully equipped nursing labs and clinical placements have a higher demand for nursing assistants. The job market of this medical practice has grown tremendously and has overcome some if not all of the challenges experienced in the corporate world, as will be seen herein.<br/><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-756" height="443" src="http://trla.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/CNA-classes-online3.jpg" width="500" /><br/><br/><strong>Video Source: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/IXEnhanceLifeXI?feature=watch">IXEnhanceLifeXI</a></strong><br/><br/><strong>Growth Expectancy</strong><br/><br/>Research shows that the job market for CNAs is expected to grow by a striking 24% by the year 2018. This is proof enough that more and more people are taking up careers in the nursing field. Community care facilities have recorded the highest number of published employers since they deal with the care of the sickly that are mostly elderly. High growth expectancy means that care facilities will have to increase and improve the infrastructure in order to care for the sickly efficiently. The down side of high growth expectancy is that qualifications will be raised in order to rule out the not so hardworking candidates.<br/><br/><strong>Qualifications</strong><br/><br/>Like any other occupation, one needs qualifications in order to be awarded the title of a CNA. The basic qualification is mostly a Bachelor’s degree and/or a GED depending on the institution of higher learning that one has attended. In addition to these, one must have a valid CNA and drivers license and more importantly a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certification. Previous experience in the field of nursing always poses as an added advantage for anyone seeking employment as CNA. Fortunately, nowadays one can take a short-cut to the strenuous activities of attaining these qualifications. This is made possible by programs available in hospitals that aim to train people with little or no experience. These programs are more beneficial as one gets to have a real perspective of what being a CNA is all about.<br/><br/>Thanks to the ever-growing world of technology, one can access online tests/programs that will enable him/her to enter the field of nursing. An example of this that is commonly used is the cnaexamcram found on any type of browser. This site provides pre-tests, study guides, practice tests and resources that revolve around what CNA entails. Audiovisuals and images further helps one practice more once logged on to this site. After all is said and done and one has successfully passed the test offered, one is also given tips on how to write appealing resumes.<br/><br/><strong>Salary/Wages</strong><br/><br/>Certified Nursing Assistants do a lot of strenuous activities in hospitals and care facilities. The job basically requires one to give physical, emotional and religious care to patients. As a result of this, it is no surprise that CNAs are among the highly paid staff in the hospital industry. Their wages vary however depending on full-time or part-time employment schedule. Those who work in private homes tend to pocket more wages than those in hospitals since they receive daily hefty tips directly. In some instances, applicants for the positions of CNAs are expected to indicate in their resumes the amount of salary they would want. For someone who has taken the cnaexamcram, this is not a tricky task since one is taught how to estimate the most reasonable salary.<br/><br/><strong>Challenges</strong><br/><br/>The work of a CNA may sound simple but these people in the nursing field tend to face some short-comings. Environments that have a high turnover of patients with less staff may lead to stress and frustrations. Consequently, the nursing staff will not perform their duties to their level best which may lead to death of patients. Lack of health benefits and inadequate training facilities in the working contract may also slow down the performance of a CNA. All these challenges should be addressed by the management of the care facilities to prevent future problems.<br/><br/><strong>Conclusion</strong><br/><br/>Becoming a <a href="http://cnacareertips.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/what-is-a-certified-nurse-assistant/" target="_blank">Certified Nursing Assistant</a> is beneficial in the long-run and adds to one’s well-being and knowledge. Increase in the number of patients who need extra care has contributed greatly to the growth of this industry. The presence of good healthcares equipped with good staff means that life expectancy will increase subsequently. All this makes the world a better and safer place to live in year in, year out.<br/><br/>People undertaking studies in the field of nursing have very bright careers, as seen in this discussion. The standards for qualification are achievable and available through the <a href="http://cnaexamcram.com/" target="_blank">cnaexamcram</a> program. The salary is mind-blowing and will no doubt give one the morale to even work harder.<br/><br/>Susan Padmore has been a Certified Nursing Assistant instructor since attaining her Bachelor of Science of nursing degree in 2005. With at least 7 years of active nursing practice as a Registered Nurse, she is familiar with nursing concepts, new trends in nursing, and nursing examinations.

Current Job Market For Certified Nursing Assistants

Over the years, Certified Nursing Assistants have been ranked among the most coveted health-related professions in the beginner or sub-ordin...

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