Posted on July 3, 2012 by Rashid Faridi
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Techniques To Improve Your Mental Health

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Rashid Faridi

Guest Post by Corrine Smith

As we age, our mental health deteriorates and we become less sharp. But just because your memory is fading and your problem-solving skills have weakened throughout the years doesn’t mean you can’t turn it around and improve your mental health today. All our brains need are some good teasers and training to come back to life. Here are eight exercises to improve your mental health.

  1. Exercise:

    Daily exercise and physical activity prevents disease and makes you stronger, but it also improves your mental health. Ever heard of a little thing called endorphins? These feel-good chemicals are released during exercise and other activities and have been known to increase feelings of euphoria, happiness, and well-being. In addition to the endorphin increase, exercise also reduces stress and anxiety, the common culprits of depression and other debilitating mental disorders. It doesn’t matter if you walk, bike, swim, or weight-lift; all types of exercise are good for the body and mind.

  2. Meditation:

    The act of sitting still, closing your eyes, and clearing your thoughts can do wonders for your mind and body. Meditation means something different to everyone, and the benefits of regular meditation range from increased self-awareness and heightened spiritual connection to improved mood. Meditation exercises can significantly improve your mental health by allowing you to let go of negative thoughts and feelings and reach a higher consciousness. You’ll likely feel relaxed and rejuvenated after meditating and be ready to take on the day or end the day with a clear, healthy mindset.

  3. Memorization:

    One of the best ways to improve your mental health and increase your brain power is to memorize bits of information and recite them. Whether you memorize a grocery list, a phone number, or a joke, memorization is a valuable tool and beneficial exercise for the brain. Remember, it’s just as important to test your long-term memory as it is to test your short-term memory. An easy way to do this is to talk to an old friend or family member and try to recall specific names, dates, and events that require you to tap into your stored memories.

  4. Learn something new:

    A great way to exercise your brain and improve your mental health is to learn something new like speaking a foreign language, playing an instrument, or mastering a recipe. When you learn a new skill, you encounter different challenges that force you to step out of your comfort zone, make mistakes, and reach new goals. Once you’ve mastered a new skill, you’ll feel an overwhelming sense of fulfillment and self-satisfaction, both of which are excellent mental health boosts.

  5. Solve problems:

    Whether it’s math problems or scheduling issues, problem-solving is an incredibly important skill we use every day. There are many techniques and skills involved in problem-solving, and those who regularly exercise this area of the brain may improve their overall mental health. Don’t shy away from problems; try to solve them on your own. Although the process of solving a problem can be frustrating, you’ll feel proud and empowered when you find a resolution.

  6. Test your concentration:

    No matter your age, you can always work on improving your attention and concentration. You can do so by exercising your brain with games and teasers that stimulate your concentration skills and help you retain more information. Improving your concentration skills can help you in a job and other tasks that require you to pay close attention and memorize important information.

  7. Do puzzles and games:

    Puzzles and games challenge your brain in so many positive ways and can greatly increase your overall mental health. Working on puzzles and games will require you to use critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning skills. These exercises stimulate your mind, improve your concentration, and enhance your vocabulary and math skills. Not to mention, working on jigsaw puzzles or crossword puzzles yourself can be a very relaxing and rewarding activity.

  8. Read and write often:

    There are many mental health benefits of reading and writing that go way beyond relaxation and entertainment. Reading and writing stimulate the brain, spark imagination, and increase creativity. Regular reading and writing can increase your comprehension skills, vocabulary, grammar, and memory. Not to mention, both exercises can be very therapeutic for the mind. Writing can also help you address negative thoughts and bad memories that affect your overall mental health.

  9. also publiahed here
Posted in Guest Post | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Important Links for Common Core Educators

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Rashid Faridi

Guest Post by Jasmine Hall

Educators across the nation are working hard this summer to begin developing updated curricula that will fit into the new Common Core State Standards, which will be fully applied in 45 U.S. states (Texas, Alaska, Nebraska, Virginia, and Minnesota have opted out of statewide participation) by 2015. Yet despite the hubbub about the new standards, which were created as a means of better equipping students with the knowledge they need to be competitive in the modern world, many teachers still have a lot of unanswered questions about what Common Core will mean for them, their students, and their schools. Luckily, the Internet abounds with helpful resources that can explain the intricacies of Common Core, offer resources for curriculum development, and even let teachers keep up with the latest news on the subject. We’ve collected just a few of those great resources here, which are essential reads for any K-12 educator in a Common Core-adopting state.

Groups and Organizations

These links will take you to essential reading materials from the institutions and organizations behind Common Core.

  1. Common Core State Standards Initiative:This is the official site for the CCSSI, featuring information about the standards, news, resources, and answers to frequently asked questions.
  2. National Governors Association: The NGA played a major role in the development of Common Core, so their website is a great place to look for answers about the standards.
  3. Council of Chief State School Officers: The other major group behind Common Core is the CCSSO, an organization you can learn more about by visiting their site.

Useful Resources

Read up on Common Core, find out more about what it will mean for your classes, and get some help from educational providers and groups by following these links.

  1. CCSSI Wiki:One simple way to learn more about the CCSSI is to visit the program’s Wikipedia page, which is packed with useful information on the subject.
  2. Common Core 360: Common Core 360 is an educational network that offers webinars, training tools, news, and more to help teachers adapt to the new Common Core standards.
  3. MasteryConnect: Use the MasteryConnect site to track your students’ progress under the new Common Core system.
  4. Pearson Education Common Core State Standards: Pearson, a major educational publisher, offers access to numerous resources on Common Core. Visitors to the site will find everything from basic explanations to informative webinars.
  5. McGraw Hill Common Core Solutions: Educational publisher McGraw Hill is also reaching out to teachers when it comes to Common Core, loading up their website with tools for professional and curriculum development.
  6. Common Core Adoptions by State: The ASCD website offers up information on which states are adopting Common Core, along with links to each Common Core state website.
  7. The Common Core Institute: Teachers who are unsure about their expertise on Common Core should give the Common Core Institute a try. The organization offers Black Belt certification on Common Core, as well as a wealth of other conferences and professional development opportunities for teachers.
  8. Common Core Standards App: This iPhone application (it is also available for Android) lets teachers keep essential information about Common Core at their fingertips.
  9. ASCD Common Core Webinars: ASCD is working on new webinars on Common Core for this fall, but educators can take a look at their archived resources from earlier this year in the meantime.
  10. Common Core Workbook: Use this workbook from Achieve and the U.S. Education Delivery Institute to help guide the Common Core implementation process at your school.
  11. CommonCore.org:Here you’ll find an organization dedicated to ensuring that the Common Core is about more than just reading and math, instead promoting a well-rounded education that includes reading literature, studying culture, and engaging with the arts.

Curriculum Development

These sites offer a wealth of resources for helping you develop curricula that meets Common Core standards.

  1. The Mathematics Common Core Toolbox: Districts and teachers alike can find support for building better math lessons that fit into new Common Core guidelines through this helpful site.
  2. Khan Academy Common Core Map: Those who’ve been using Khan Academy videos and lessons in the classroom can see how each relates to new Common Core standards using this map.
  3. Literacy Design Collaborative: The LDC offers templates, modules, and guidebooks for teachers that make it simple to develop engaging literacy lessons under Common Core.
  4. Illustrative Mathematics: Get some guidance on the mathematics topics covered at every grade level under Common Core.
  5. Teaching Channel: The Teaching Channel site offers just over 100 videos on Common Core lessons, ideas, and more.
  6. Achieve the Core: This website encourages teachers to steal its tools for curriculum development.
  7. Lexile: Is that text at grade level? Use this handy online tool to measure a text for readability.
  8. AASL Lesson Plan Database: The American Association of School Librarians has loads of lesson plans and checklists for teachers that fall under Common Core standards.
  9. Surveys of Enacted Curriculum: Use reliable data to develop, plan, and compare your curriculum when you visit this site’s archive of PDF reports.

Blogs

You can get regular reading material on the subject of CCSS by following any or all of these blogs.

  1. Common Core:Head to this blog to read updates about Common Core news and other educational topics on a regular basis.
  2. Pearson Common Core Blog: Part of the Common Core resources offered by Pearson is a blog, full of articles on a range of educational topics.
  3. Tools for the Common Core Standards: This blog is an excellent resource for learning about new tools that help support Common Core implementation in schools.
  4. Common Core Blog: Offering links to Common Core tools, news, articles, and more, this blog is a great resource for learning about Common Core.
  5. The Core Knowledge Blog: Find a wealth of high-quality articles on teaching topics (especially Common Core) on this blog on the Core Knowledge Foundation’s site.
  6. Core Commons: Follow this blog to read more about emerging strategies and issues in implementing the Common Core standards.
  7. The Learning Network: The Learning Network blog, part of the New York Times‘ website, regularly publishes articles on Common Core.
  8. Common Core Facts: Get an opposing view on Common Core by reading this blog.
  9. All Things Common Core: Educators can learn from fellow teachers about the challenges of applying Common Core in their district from this blog.

State Tools

Some states have created helpful websites for teachers all about Common Core. Here, we share a few that can be useful to teachers all over the United States.

  1. Resources for Implementing the Common Core State Standards: The Indiana Department of Education offers a number of CCSS resources on their website, including a number of informative articles and videos.
  2. NC Common Core Support Tools: North Carolina is making it easier for teachers in the state (and in others) to apply Common Core by collecting this incredibly useful set of tools.
  3. NYC Common Core Library: Any lingering questions you have about Common Core will undoubtedly be answered by this comprehensive site from the NYC Department of Education.
  4. TNCore: Tennessee has built an entire website to help teachers with Common Core, with resources on Math, English, and other disciplines.
  5. CDE Implementation Toolkit: Here, the Colorado Department of Education has a number of design tools teachers can use to move into the new standards.
  6. Engage NY: From a Common Core toolkit to curriculum exemplars, the New York Common Core website has loads of great resources teachers can use.
  7. ODE Model Curriculum: Head to this Ohio Department of Education site to find model curriculum resources for all Common Core subjects.

Articles and Presentations

These articles and videos offer different perspectives on Common Core, some supporting it while others doubt it, essential reading for any educator looking for a well-rounded perspective on the matter.

  1. A First Look at the Common Core and College and Career Readiness: In this report, ACT takes a look at how Common Core standards will help to better prepare students for college and the working world.
  2. Common Core standards drive wedge in education circles: Not all teachers support Common Core, and as this article from USA Today points out, it’s creating a rift between some educators.
  3. Embracing the Common Core: Helping Students Thrive: Download this presentation by Stan Heffner and Michael Cohen on what Common Core means for today’s students.
  4. Putting a Price Tag on the Common Core: How Much Will Smart Implementation Cost?:With school districts already strapped for cash, it makes sense to consider the financial impact of Common Core, which you can learn more about from this Fordham Institute read.
  5. Why Common Core standards will fail:Well-known Washington Post education columnist Jay Matthews doesn’t think Common Core is the answer. Check out this editorial to see why.
  6. Research Finds 97% of Teachers are Now Favorable Towards Common Core Standards: Are you among the 97% of teachers who support Common Core? Learn about the battle to get teachers on board, here.
  7. For CCSS Math Education Some Problems are Elementary: Stuart Singer brings up some pretty important points when it comes to how Common Core will affect math education.
  8. Common Core won’t likely boost student achievement, analysis says: The Brookings Institution believes that Common Core won’t help students improve their achievement. Their study is discussed in detail here by Valerie Strauss.
  9. No Need to Fear the Common Core Standards: This New York Times article assures teachers that Common Core standards are nothing to fear, and are actually already having benefits in schools.
  10. Primer on Common Core State Standards: Head to this site for a helpful primer on the basics of Common Core Standards.
  11. The Impact of Common Core State Standards on Your Student:Have you had parents asking you about Common Core? Not sure what to tell them? This article can help, by explaining the new system in an easily understandable way.

also published here

Posted in Guest Post | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Longest expressway India never had

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Rashid Faridi

Dear Readers,Found this thought provoking article on Reuters.Sharing With you ALL.Read and Think

In a wheat field near the mighty Ganges river stands a cracked foundation stone surrounded by nibbling goats and farmers driving their cattle in the baking sun.

Unveiled more than four years ago, it’s all that remains of an ambition to build India’s longest expressway, an eight-lane, 1,050-km (650-mile) road that would have run through Uttar Pradesh and connected one of the country’s most backward regions to the doorstep of the nation’s capital.

Supporters of the Ganga Expressway project say it would have helped transform Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state and one of its poorest, and the lives of its 200 million people by slashing travel times and letting industry and townships sprout.

But having been in and out of the headlines for years, the project has all but crumbled under the weight of political wrangling, opposition from farmers whose fields would have suffered, and a court order in 2009 stalling construction on environmental grounds.

The failure of the Ganga Expressway offers a snapshot of India’s chronic infrastructure woes and a reality check on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent promise to speed up more than 200 key projects.It’s also symptomatic of how, for India’s leaders, political expedience often trumps the need to revive investor sentiment and growth.

read here

Wikipedia 

Posted in opinions | Leave a comment