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Trees are important, valuable and necessary to our very existence. It's not too hard to believe that, without trees we humans would not exist on this beautiful planet. In fact, some claim can be made that our mother's and father's ancestors climbed trees - another debate for another site.
Still, trees are essential to life as we know it and are the ground troops on an environmental frontline. Our existing forest and the trees we plant work in tandem to make a better world.

1. Trees Produce Oxygen

Let's face it, we could not exist as we do if there were no trees. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. What many people don't realize is the forest also acts as a giant filter that cleans the air we breath.

2. Trees Clean the Soil

The term phytoremediation is a fancy word for the absorption of dangerous chemicals and other pollutants that have entered the soil. Trees can either store harmful pollutants or actually change the pollutant into less harmful forms. Trees filter sewage and farm chemicals, reduce the effects of animal wastes, clean roadside spills and clean water runoff into streams.

3. Trees Control Noise Pollution

 

Trees muffle urban noise almost as effectively as stone walls. Trees, planted at strategic points in a neighborhood or around your house, can abate major noises from freeways and airports.

4. Trees Slow Storm Water Runoff

Flash flooding can be dramatically reduced by a forest or by planting trees. One Colorado blue spruce, either planted or growing wild, can intercept more than 1000 gallons of water annually when fully grown. Underground water-holding aquifers are recharged with this slowing down of water runoff.

5. Trees Are Carbon Sinks

To produce its food, a tree absorbs and locks away carbon dioxide in the wood, roots and leaves. Carbon dioxide is a global warming suspect. A forest is a carbon storage area or a "sink" that can lock up as much carbon as it produces. This locking-up process "stores" carbon as wood and not as an available "greenhouse" gas.

6. Trees Clean the Air

Trees help cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing such pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Trees remove this air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining particulates.

7. Trees Shade and Cool

 

Shade resulting in cooling is what a tree is best known for. Shade from trees reduces the need for air conditioning in summer. In winter, trees break the force of winter winds, lowering heating costs. Studies have shown that parts of cities without cooling shade from trees can literally be "heat islands" with temperatures as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit higher than surrounding areas.

8. Trees Act as Windbreaks

 

During windy and cold seasons, trees located on the windward side act as windbreaks. A windbreak can lower home heating bills up to 30% and have a significant effect on reducing snow drifts. A reduction in wind can also reduce the drying effect on soil and vegetation behind the windbreak and help keep precious topsoil in place.

9. Trees Fight Soil Erosion

  

Erosion control has always started with tree and grass planting projects. Tree roots bind the soil and their leaves break the force of wind and rain on soil. Trees fight soil erosion, conserve rainwater and reduce water runoff and sediment deposit after storms.

10. Trees Increase Property Values

Real estate values increase when trees beautify a property or neighborhood. Trees can increase the property value of your home by 15% or more.

TeaCHer TiPs

 

Through practice in Classroom Assessment, faculty become better able to understand and promote learning, and increase their ability to help the students themselves become more effective, self-assessing, self-directed learners. Simply put, the central purpose of Classroom Assessment is to empower both teachers and their students to improve the quality of learning in the classroom.

  

Classroom Assessment is an approach designed to help teachers find out what students are learning in the classroom and how well they are learning it. This approach has the following characteristics:

• Learner-CenteredClassroom Assessment focuses the primary attention of teachers and students on observing and improving learning, rather than on observing and improving teaching. Classroom Assessment can provide information to guide teachers and students in making adjustments to improve learning.
  
• Teacher-DirectedClassroom Assessment respects the autonomy, academic freedom, and professional judgement of college faculty. The individual teacher decides what to assess, how to assess, and how to respond to the information gained through the assessment. Also, the teacher is not obliged to share the result of Classroom Assessment with anyone outside the classroom.
  
• Mutually BeneficialBecause it is focused on learning, Classroom Assessment requires the active participation of students. By cooperating in assessment, students reinforce their grasp of the course content and strengthen their own skills at self-assessment. Their motivation is increased when they realize that faculty are interested and invested in their success as learners. Faculty also sharpen their teaching focus by continually asking themselves three questions: "What are the essential skills and knowledge I am trying to Teach?" "How can I find out whether students are learning them?" "How can I help students learn better?" As teachers work closely with students to answer these questions, they improve their teaching skills and gain new insights.
  
• FormativeClassroom Assessment's purpose is to improve the quality of student learning, not to provide evidence for evaluating or grading students. The assessment is almost never graded and are almost always anonymous.
  
• Context-SpecificClassroom Assessments have to respond to the particular needs and characteristics of the teachers, students, and disciplines to which they are applied. What works well in one class will not necessary work in another.
  
• OngoingClassroom Assessment is an ongoing process, best thought of as the creating and maintenance of a classroom "feedback loop." By using a number of simple Classroom Assessment Techniques that are quick and easy to use, teachers get feedback from students on their learning. Faculty then complete the loop by providing students with feedback on the results of the assessment and suggestions for improving learning. To check on the usefulness of their suggestions, faculty use Classroom Assessment again, continuing the "feedback loop." As the approach becomes integrated into everyday classroom activities, the communications loop connecting faculty and students -- and teaching and learning -- becomes more efficient and more effective.
  
• Rooted in Good Teaching PracticeClassroom Assessment is an attempt to build on existing good practice by making feedback on students' learning more systematic, more flexible, and more effective. Teachers already ask questions, react to students' questions, monitor body language and facial expressions, read homework and tests, and so on. Classroom Assessment provides a way to integrate assessment systematically and seamlessly into the traditional classroom teaching and learning process

As they are teaching, faculty monitor and react to student questions, comments, body language, and facial expressions in an almost automatic fashion. This "automatic" information gathering and impression formation is a subconscious and implicit process. Teachers depend heavily on their impressions of student learning and make important judgments based on them, but they rarely make those informal assessments explicit or check them against the students' own impressions or ability to perform. In the course of teaching, college faculty assume a great deal about their students' learning, but most of their assumptions remain untested.

How To Start A Class.

1. Greet students at the door.
2. Make a starting class routine for the kids and yourself.
3. Use a "do now" or quick assessment.
4. Remember to take attendance.
5. Have a sign-in area.
6. Hear student concerns

 

Reinforcing Positive Students Efforts.

As teachers we sometimes forget that we have a number of great children in our class that work hard and give their all. But, because they are not the exceptional children in the class, they are rarely recognized for this.

Here are some ways to quickly and regularly recognize these students:

1. Give a call home and say they are doing a great job!

2. Send home a flyer or happy form. It will only take a little time.

3. Make them a printable award certificate

Piaget's Cognitive Development Stage

Piaget's theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence first developed by Jean Piaget. It is primarily known as a developmental stage theory, but in fact, it deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans come gradually to acquire it, construct it, and use it. Moreover, Piaget claims the idea that cognitive development is at the centre of human organism and language is contingent on cognitive development.

Stage Characterised by:

• Sensori-motor  (Birth-2 yrs) 

Differentiates self from objects 

Recognises self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally: 

e.g. pulls a string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise 

Achieves object permanence: realises that things continue to exist even when no longer present to the sense (pace Bishop Berkeley) 

• Pre-operational  (2-7 years) 

Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words 

Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others 

Classifies objects by a single feature:

e.g. groups together all the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless of colour 

• Concrete operational  (7-11 years) 

Can think logically about objects and events 

Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9) 

Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in series along a single dimension such as size. 

• Formal operational  (11 years and up) 

Can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses systemtically 

Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and ideological problems

TaRiaN SiNGa

 Dragon dance (simplified Chinese: 舞龙; traditional Chinese: 舞龍; pinyin: wǔ lóng) is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chinese culture. Like the lion dance it is most often seen in festive celebrations. Many Chinese people often use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" (龍的傳人 or 龙的传人, lóng de chuán rén) as a sign of ethnic identity, as part of a trend started in the 1970s. Another derivation is from (農的傳人) i.e. the descendants of Shennong, the legendary first king of the Chinese people who taught them agriculture, law and medicine, the foundations of civilization.

 In the dance, a team of people carry the dragon which is an image of the Chinese dragon on poles. A dragon can be composed of up to 50 people. The dance team does mimic the supposed movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolise historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity. The dragon dance is a highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations held worldwide in Chinatowns around the world.

 Dragons are believed to bring good luck to people, which is reflected in their qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility (sex), wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both frightening and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and so eventually became an emblem to represent imperial authority.

History

 Lion dances originated in India and Vietnam along with Buddhist lore and ritual. The popular form of lion dancing todays Chinese culture evolved in China, though several countries throughout the Asian region, including Japan, have developed their own styles of lion dance through the centuries.

 The Dragon Dance itself originated during the Han Dynasty and was started by the Chinese who had shown great belief and respect towards the dragon. It is believed to have begun as part of the farming and harvest culture, also with origins as a method of healing and preventing sickness. It was already a popular event during the Song Dynasty where it had become a folk activity and like the lion dance, was most often seen in festive celebrations.

 As the dragon gives people a feeling of great respect, it is often called the Sacred Dragon. The emperors of ancient China considered themselves as the dragon. The Dragon is also the emblem of Imperial Authority. It symbolizes supernatural power, goodness, fertility, vigilance and dignity.
In the Qing Dynasty, the Dragon Dance team of the province of Foochow had been invited to perform in Peking and had been greatly praised and admired by the Qing Emperor, which earned great fame for the team.

HoW SwET PeRFuMe

Perfume is a mixture of ingredients used to alter body odor. Its popularity has grown through the years to the point that most young women will wear it at least once in their lifetime. Also, celebrities and clothing designers often add it to their brand name because of its lucrative sales. Basically, perfume is a product that has passed the test of time.

History of

The origins of perfume can be traced back almost 4,000 years. Its name derives from the Latin term "per fumum" meaning "through smoke." The inventor of perfume is unknown. Archaeologists, however, did uncover the earliest perfume factory in Pyrgos, Cyprus. It was filled with mixing bowls, funnels, distilling stills and perfume bottles.

Evolution

In ancient days, perfume was not created with flowers. It was actually concocted with herbs, spices, myrtle, resin and other non-floral items. These ingredients were largely attributed to convenience and religious rituals. Yet, as time passed, perfume's function did as well and it became and item used largely to alter body odor. The Hungarians tapped into this idea and created the first modern perfume in 1370. It was made from scented oils with a floral based and a blended alcohol solution. By the 18th century, the French expanded on this idea and experimented with more aromatic plants. Then, they further popularized the use of perfume to Westerners.

Effects

Perfume effects people in different ways. For some individuals, it is an aphrodisiac that arouses sexuality. However, for others;

• Skin problems are frequent due to side effects of perfume. It may cause allergies and rashes. In some cases de-pigmentation of skin can also be caused.
• Sinus, watery eyes, sore throat, anxiety and inability to concentrate are few other side effects caused by perfumes.
• Perfumes are also known to cause headache, dizziness, nausea, sneezing and mood swings.
• In some cases fragrance chemicals can cause lung disease. In asthmatics perfumes can trigger attacks.
• Perfumes are also known to affect the brain as there is close connection between memory and scent.
• Fragrance chemicals can be absorbed by the skin and can get introduced into the blood stream. Thus it can affect any part of the body that is sensitive to chemicals.
• Fragrance cause chemical change to occur in brain and this leads to depression in many cases.
• It also causes chest tightness, hyperactivity (in children), drowsiness and fatigue too.

HoW sWeET L0vEr...

Bertepuk sebelah tangan sahaja tidak akan berbunyi. Bercinta dengan yang tidak mencintai,

akan menyebabkan seseorang itu kecewa dan merana.

Itulah lumrahnya apabila bercinta dengan manusia.

Sebaliknya
bercinta dengan Allah,

Tuhan yang Maha Pencinta atau 'Al Waduud' itu,

cinta kita pasti akan berbalas.

Bahkan ia diberi penghargaan dan disambut dengan baik.

Cinta Allah yang Maha Pencinta tidak memilih

siapa, rupa, gaya dan bagaimana keadaannya.

CintaNya boleh direbut oleh sesiapa sahaja,

asalkan rajin berusaha untuknya.

Cinta yang tidak pernah luput walau sesaat malahan terus berkekalan.

Berbeza dengan manusia yang hanya cinta pada yang disukai dan diminati.

Cintanya pula bermusim dan tidak kekal.

Sewaktu disenangi dicintai,

bila jemu atau benci tidak lagi dicintai malah ditinggalkan.

Cinta manusia juga terhad dan ada kepentingan.
Isteri cintakan suami kerana suami tempatnya bergantung.

Ibu mencintai anak kerana anak itulah penghiburnya di kala sunyi.

kawan menyayangi kawan kerana dapat berkongsi merasai senang dan susahnya hidup.
Pengikut sayangkan ketua kerana ketua menjadi penaungnya.

Namun Allah yang Maha Pencipta mencintai hamba-hambanya tanpa ada kepentingan apa-apa.

Allah hanya melebihkan kecintaanNya kepada orang-orang yang mencintaiNya,

sebagai ganjaran buat hambaNya itu.

Allah akan murka kepada orang yang mengingkariNya,

yang sombong dan memang tidak mahu langsung mencintaiNya.

sWeEt EffeCTiVe LearNiNg

I'm always interested in finding new ways to learn better and faster. As a graduate student who is also a full-time science writer, the amount of time I have to spend learning new things is limited. It's important to get the most educational value out of my time as possible. However, retention, recall and transfer are also critical. I need to be able to accurately remember the information I learn, recall it at a later time and utilize it effectively in a wide variety of situations.

 

1. Memory Improvement Basics

I've written before about some of the best ways to improve memory. Basic tips such as improving focus, avoiding cram sessions and structuring your study time are a good place to start, but there are even more lessons from psychology that can dramatically improve your learning efficiency.

 

2. Keep Learning (and Practicing) New Things

Learning and practicing new skills helps your brain retain new information.

One sure-fire way to become a more effective learner is to simply keep learning. A 2004 Nature article reported that people who learned how to juggle increased the amount of gray matter in their occipital lobes, the area of the brain is associated with visual memory.¹ When these individuals stopped practicing their new skill, this gray matter vanished.

So if you're learning a new language, it is important to keep practicing the language in order to maintain the gains you have achieved. This "use-it-or-lose-it" phenomenon involves a brain process known as "pruning." Certain pathways in the brain are maintained, while other are eliminated. If you want the new information you just learned to stay put, keep practicing and rehearsing it.

3. Learn in Multiple Ways

Focus on learning in more than one way. Instead of just listening to a podcast, which involves auditory learning, find a way to rehearse the information both verbally and visually. This might involve describing what you learned to a friend, taking notes or drawing a mind map. By learning in more than one way, you’re further cementing the knowledge in your mind. According to Judy Willis, “The more regions of the brain that store data about a subject, the more interconnection there is. This redundancy means students will have more opportunities to pull up all of those related bits of data from their multiple storage areas in response to a single cue. This cross-referencing of data means we have learned, rather than just memorized.”

 

4. Teach What You've Learned to Another Person

Teaching can improve your learning.

Educators have long noted that one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Remember your seventh-grade presentation on Costa Rica? By teaching to the rest of the class, your teacher hoped you would gain even more from the assignment. You can apply the same principle today by sharing your newly learned skills and knowledge with others.

Start by translating the information into your own words. This process alone helps solidify new knowledge in your brain. Next, find some way to share what you’ve learned. Some ideas include writing a blog post, creating a podcast or participating in a group discussion.

5. Utilize Previous Learning to Promote New Learning

Another great way to become a more effective learner is to use relational learning, which involves relating new information to things that you already know. For example, if you are learning about Romeo and Juliet, you might associate what you learn about the play with prior knowledge you have about Shakespeare, the historical period in which the author lived and other relevant information.

 

6. Gain Practical Experience

For many of us, learning typically involves reading textbooks, attending lectures or doing research in the library or on the Web. While seeing information and then writing it down is important, actually putting new knowledge and skills into practice can be one of the best ways to improve learning. If you are trying to acquire a new skill or ability, focus on gaining practical experience. If it is a sport or athletic skill, perform the activity on a regular basis. If you are learning a new language, practice speaking with another person and surround yourself with immersive experiences.

 

7. Look Up Answers Rather Than Struggle to Remember

Of course, learning isn’t a perfect process. Sometimes, we forget the details of things that we have already learned. If you find yourself struggling to recall some tidbit of information, research suggests that you are better offer simply looking up the correct answer. One study found that the longer you spend trying to remember the answer, the more likely you will be to forget the answer again in the future. Why? Because these attempts to recall previously learned information actually results in learning the "error state" instead of the correct response.

 

8. Understand How You Learn Best

Another great strategy for improving your learning efficiency is to recognize your learning habits and styles. There are a number of different theories about learning styles, which can all help you gain a better understanding of how you learn best. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences describes eight different types of intelligence that can help reveal your individual strengths. Looking at Carl Jung’s learning style dimensions can also help you better see which learning strategies might work best for you.

9. Use Testing to Boost Learning

While it may seem that spending more time studying is one of the best ways to maximize learning, research has demonstrated that taking tests actually helps you better remember what you've learned, even if it wasn't covered on the test.³ The study revealed that students who studied and were then tested had better long-term recall of the materials, even on information that was not covered by the tests. Students who had extra time to study but were not tested had significantly lower recall of the materials.

 

10. Stop Multitasking

For many years, it was thought that people who multitask, or perform more than one activity at once, had an edge over those who did not. However, research now suggests that multitasking can actually make learning less effective. In the study, participants lost significant amounts of time as they switched between multiple tasks and lost even more time as the tasks became increasingly complex.⁴ By switching from one activity to another, you will learn more slowly, become less efficient and make more errors. How can you avoid the dangers of multitasking? Start by focusing your attention on the task at hand and continue working for a predetermined amount of time.

 

Tips from Psychology to Improve Learning Effectiveness & Efficiency

By Kendra Cherry, About.com Guide