Music Education- Let The Rhythm Begin

Source: bit.ly/1v9vMJN

Plato once said that, “music is a more potent instrument than any other for education”. It is very much true. Recent time research shows that, the do-re-mis help kids to excel as a human being all together way more than basic A,B,Cs. Whether your kid is blessed with a phenomenal voice or just a bathroom singer, he/she is bound to be benefited from one or another way of music education.

Music Class- More Than Just Another Period

“A music-rich experience for children of singing, listening and moving is really bringing a very serious benefit to children as they progress into more formal learning,”- says Mary Luehrisen, executive director of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the benefit of music in the mental & physical growth of children. As music utilizes the both sides of the brain, the distinct education belongs to the sheer importance in all areas of development.

When Academic Growth Is Influenced By Music

Source: bit.ly/1wLdgHV

Academic growth can be one of the pivotal reasons for implementing music in a child's regular academic schedule. In it's recent study the University of California manifests a comparison, where it is shown that, students, who were went through music training sessions, scored 27% higher on proportional math and fractions tests than those, who received no respective instruction. So it is quiet conspicuous that, trainings in music indeed wire young minds to enhance their performances.

When Music Is Reckoned As A Sport

Learning how to sing & keep the sync in rhythm, assists growing kids to develop their sense of co-ordination. Music does not only broaden the minds & thoughts of young children, but the air and wind power, necessary to blow a flute, trumpet or saxophone, also promotes a healthy body.

When Music Breakthroughs Language

Source: bit.ly/1ms4uhc

According to the Children’s Music Workshop, the impact of music education on language development can be observed in the brain. The group claims that music can actually wire the brain’s circuits in certain ways, saying, “Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language.”

When Emotions Are Refined With Music

We are emotional beings and every child requires an artistic outlet. Music is an art form that not only escalates the physical well being of children, but also acts as the vehicle of your kid's expression of immediate emotions.

But Poorer Children Still Remain Disadvantaged

Though the proportion of children in the UK, who are enjoying access to learn & play music has been elevated almost to the double in the past 15 years, the less fortunate kids are still missing out the opportunity to have the rhythm in life.

ABRSM, the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music, has manifested in one of their reports that, the major cost of learning & playing with modern music instruments like drum kit, electric and bass guitar, has barred the poorer students from having the pleasure of music.

The distinct study suggests that, there are significant gaps between the proportions of rich and poorer kids, who have music lessons & play an instrument. An estimated 90% of those from the wealthiest backgrounds will have played an instrument compared with 80% of those from other social backgrounds.

Source: bit.ly/1ulw9mM

The respective study confirms that, "Children from lower socioeconomic groups continue to be significantly disadvantaged compared with their peers from more affluent backgrounds."

Lincoln Abbotts, director of strategic development at ABRSM, said: “It is hoped the report will be used to influence, change and further improve the circumstances in which children and adults engage with music.” The noteworthy change can already be seen in the elevation of students, enjoying music, from 41% to 76%. Now this is a cause of celebration.

What To Say Finally

Music can improve your child’s abilities in learning and other non-musical tasks, but what you have to understand that, a lesson in Mozart can not make your youngster smarter. What music infuses in his/her life is, how to be disciplined, learn a skill, be part of the music world, manage performances & above all be the part of something that he/she can be proud of. The most pivotal benefit of learning music is being musical & being in rhythm in every aspect of life.

Google’s Classroom Empowers You To “Do What You Love- Teaching”

Source: goo.gl/QkNGS2

Are you ready for a better classroom? Now you can improve the learning experience for your students with Google Classroom, which you can access with your Google Apps for Education account.

Google Classroom- A Better Classroom

Source: goo.gl/NQ3XaZ

This online tool, which was originally launched in May, provides you a unified system and a single dashboard for various services offered by Google, including Gmail, Drive and Docs. Now teachers will be able to deliver assignments and other classroom materials easily to their students.

In the official Google blog, Classroom Product Manager Zach Yeskel wrote “When we introduced Classroom back in May, we asked educators to give it a try. The response was exciting — more than 100,000 educators from more than 45 countries signed up for a preview. Today, we’re starting to open Classroom to all Google Apps for Education users, helping teachers spend more time teaching and less time shuffling papers.”

How Google Classroom Can Enhance You Teaching

As an educator, you will be able to make new classes and add different students manually. You can also choose to share unique codes which will enable relevant students can add themselves quickly. Similarly, you can also set up assignments whenever you want from the Google Apps dashboard. You can also incorporate necessary information, like name of assignment, deadline and synopsis, and optional materials from Drive, YouTube or a webpage.

Moreover, you can also determine the privileges for Drive/Docs files and choose them from students can edit file; students can view file; or make a copy for each student. The last option is especially significant as it rapidly copies tests, worksheets, and other documents to prevent students from overwriting one another’s work.

Help Your Students Learn Better

Source: goo.gl/8vRAx5

Your students will also be able to access an identical dashboard which they can use to complete their assignments via Google Docs. As your students submit their assignments and projects, you will be able to check who exactly has failed to meet the deadline. You can also offer individual feedback, review work and provide grades through the online learning management system for schools.

The company blog stated, “Teachers and students have been instrumental in helping us build Classroom. For example, we heard during the preview that educators don’t want to wait until an assignment is turned in to collaborate with students. Now, with Classroom, teachers can view and comment on students’ work to help them along the way.”

Classroom Product Manager Yeskel further wrote “We’ve also heard that educators want a simple place to post information and materials about their classes, so we added an “About” page for each course, as well.”

Making It Easier And Faster

Fontbonne Hall Academy in Brooklyn, New York was among the first few schools to try out Google Classroom. Sister Rosemarie DeLoro, who had never used computers for teaching, found Classroom helpful in assigning digital worksheets and offering direct feedback. Sister Rosemarie was so impressed with the service that she even encouraged other teachers to use the online system. She said “You can’t stay in teaching and keep going to the old ways.”

Currently Google Classroom is available in 42 different languages, including Persian, Arabic and Hebrew. You can easily access it through mobile devices and other screen readers. Zach Yeskel of Google concluded by saying “Hopefully Classroom will help you spend a little less time at the photocopier and a little more time doing what you love—teaching.”

What do you think about Google’s new initiative? Will you be using Classroom in your own class to help your students learn better? Let us know what you think by commenting below.

Article Source: tnw.co/1rSaj3V, 

Be Management Expert with an Online MBA

In this ever changing economic scenario the uncertainty of a stable financial condition has become dominant across every field especially Business and Management. Not just that even in terms of education, continuous growth and development is essential in order to fulfill one's career aspirations while exploring higher and lucrative possibilities. 

No matter how valid the above statement may be the biggest question that we end up asking ourselves is how to achieve our goal without getting stuck under the boulder of debt? education and business degrees are a plenty when we begin our search but choosing the correct road is extremely difficult. When speaking about working professionals who have years of experience but are stuck in the career ladder face even more difficulty since allotting time for study is the biggest hurdle for them.

Here is small tip that can be useful: How about getting a fast tracking option such as a Diploma in business and management which can give you the necessary credits that allow you to complete your MBA in just one year? There are numerous universities that can help you through this but again what is the point if it holds no value? So, researching for a valid and recognised institutions is of utmost importance in such a case.   

To solve the question surrounding working professionals we can look to the online learning trend that has gained immense popularity today. In fact reputed educational institutions that are renowned for their quality education on campus have begun offering their programmes online too. Getting an Online level 7 diploma in business and management and then completing their MBA in just 1 Year is an interesting way to save time and money. 

So, think about exploring this option and carve a successful career path for yourself. I would be interested to know your opinions and views so go ahead and share them with me!

Top 6 Jobs Where Your MBA Will Give You A Competitive Edge

Source: bit.ly/1rbIUJR

As the job market grow increasingly competitive, it’s time that you pull up your socks and race ahead others. In today’s corporate world, you need to have the right qualifications and the right skills to land the job of your dreams. Nowadays MBA has become one of the most popular postgraduate qualifications among students as well as employers.

But is full time MBA the right way to go for you?

Although a traditional MBA programme might be the right choice for some, but for most of investing so much time and money in a full time course just doesn’t make sense. That is why it is often best to go for an online business diploma programme. These programmes enable you to gain the necessary skills within a short period of time and advance your career to new heights. When you pursue a 1 year MBA with diploma from a reputed online B-school you will not only acquire core and advanced business knowledge, but you will also be able to gain work experience, which will strengthen your future career.

Here are a few jobs where your business education can provide you an edge over others-

Information Security Analyst

Source: bit.ly/1rCDDiG

As a analyst you will need to protect and monitor your company’s computer systems and network. Nowadays, employers prefer candidates who have an MBA, especially with relevant experience.

PamelaMittman, Assistant Dean of Career Services and Leadership Development at Stern School of Business (New York University) says, “Be as well-versed as possible in terms of the offerings of your school. We leverage our second-year students, refer to them as career coaches and train them to provide direct feedback.”

Software Developer

This position mainly refers to professionals who are experts in Information Technology and can effectively develop operating systems, applications and computer programs. Although an MBA is not necessary for this job role, but IT companies prefer software developers who possess a business degree/diploma with specialisation in information systems.

MarkGasche, the Managing Director of the Career Management Center at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) states that the staff at the centre interacts with the learners before they come for orientation. He says, “While they're here, we encourage students to stay connected ... via job action groups, career seminars and workshops, one-on-one coaching and our Kellogg job board.”

Management Analyst

Source: bit.ly/1u5wp7z

To become a desirable candidate for this position you will need adequate experience in operations. You will also need to earn a business management degree/diploma and the designation of a Certified Management Consultant. You MBA will get you a competitive edge and make you prepared for the role.

Jackie Wilbur, Executive Director at MIT Sloan suggests “Shift from thinking, ‘I need a job, I need a job,’ to ‘What can I do that I’m interested in and where can I contribute?’”

Operations Research Analyst

As an analyst you will have to use various statistics and solve problems regarding logistics, production and sales. If you want to get employed in a senior level designation in this field, then having an MBA with specialisation in operations management is imperative.

Mittman adds, “We remind students to remember that an internship is a summer-long interview where they have the benefit of asking for feedback along the way.”

Financial Manager

Source: bit.ly/1rbJZBD

Earning an MBA with finance specialisation can prove to be very beneficial for you, especially if you have experience as a loan officer, accountant or financial analyst. Your business diploma can then help you to advance your career as a financial manager. If you do not have relevant experience, then it is best to pursue a fasttrack MBA top up programme as it will enable you to work full time and gain experience while you study online to top up to an MBA degree.

Wilbur adds “We focus on how they want to construct their lives. We ask them, 'What are your values around careers and work? Your personal life? If you’re going to be a manager, how are you going to manage people different from you?’”

Interpreter and Translator

These positions primarily require you to have a number of communication and fluency skills and MBA is not really a prerequisite. However, if you want to get employed in a technical field like finance and IT, then your master’s degree/diploma will come in handy. Having a 1 year MBA with diploma will provide you a firm base to start your career in this field.

Pamela Mittman of New York University says, “The HR professionals at previous companies where you worked could be a resource. Their role involves screening candidates broadly, and they might be willing to provide insight for you on your resume.”

What do you think about these jobs? Let us know what you feel by sharing your opinions in the comments section below.

Article Source: bit.ly/1gtG6qb

Law Degree: Relevant To The Modern Society

Courtesy: bit.ly/1pFNpyx

The profession of lawyers continue to play a significant role in almost every genre of society, as every profession is effected by the law. Even when nearly all professions were going through the dark patch of economic recession, professionals with law degree got less affected than other job sectors. From poltical to socio-economical- almost every aspect of society seeks the assistance of law & lawyers when the emergency hits. So it can be said that, the law & the profession belongs to it form an integral part to maintain the sanity of society of any country.

Make A Real Difference With A Law Degree

Practicing law is not only intellectually elevating, But a law degree can also make a distinct change in economic and political landscape of society. According to all the eminent lawyers, from Joseph J. Levin Jr to Richard Granat, the sole satisfation of them, being a lawyer, is that, the profession provides them with the distinguished opportunity to bring a positive change in an individual's life and trunsform an ideal into reality. Quoting Rick Ball, Chicago,III, it can be said, "Best job in the world: I get paid to read, write, think, talk and argue-all things I would do anyway."

The differences a law degree can bring

• Law is not all about placing evil people to acount for their deeds, law also shows path how to act differntly to avoid a diabolic circumstances. Thus a professional with a law degree is essential in modern society to guide a community of self-interested people to prevent acting on their natural desire to extract “an eye for an eye” in revenge for the wrongs that they have suffered for other people.
• There is widespread acceptance that the health & wealth of any nation is crucially dependant on the law. Consequently a law degree holder also stands in the responsibility of a country's wellfare, representing clients, including individuals, businesses, and government agencies involved in legal disputes.

The Fields That Get Flourished

Courtesy: bit.ly/1pg60Cc

Clients always want their lawyers to be aware of every legel solutions of their problems. Consequently, it is a lawyer's resposibility to interpret laws and file out legel documents in a proper way. In order to do so, a law professional has to deal with lawsuits, contracts, deeds & wills.

Lawyers may specialize in various specific areas within the legal systems, such as criminal law, corporate law, taxes, family law, or litigation.

There are a variety of career options available to a Master Of Law (LLM) degree holder-

• One can join the Bar Council of India or State Bar Council after obtaining a master dagree in law
• A law degree holder can start practicing as a civil lawyer or a criminal lawyer
• Judicial Services of the state as a Magistrate after passing an entrance examination and work as a Civil Judge or Judicial Magistrate can be another option for a law pass out.
• He/she can opt for other options like civil services exams.
• Different positions in various government and non-government organizations like Law Firms, Consulting and Advisory Companies Specialize in one of the various branches of law namely civil, criminal, corporate, insurance, tax are also get opened for a law degree holder.

The Steps To Ladder

• To earn a bachelor's degree in law, lawyers may consult several subjects like English, History, Political Science & Economics, giving students a conception of what area they want to ahead with.
• A future law professional must pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) before entering a law school and pursue a law degree.
• Almost all states necessitate their law dgree holders to earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the ABA.
• The bar exam is the important threshold that every law school graduate needs to step on. While each state may offer their own exam, some states have adopted the Uniform Bar Exam, which allows lawyers to practice in any other state that also accepts this exam.

When The Prowess Comes Online:

Courtesy: bit.ly/1vkeYTu

We already have gone through the fact that law is a distinguished stream that requires both abstruct thinking and practical problem solving ability. Hence legal graduates need something more than knowledge of law, that is practical implementation and facing real life challenges. Consequently, the master degree in law online course is uniquely designed for those, who wish to attain a law degree as well as want to pursue their practice.

Pursuing LLM

The Master of Laws (LLM) online, an internationally recognized online postgraduate law degree, usually comes in a two-year study programme. This respected law degree is generally pursued by the law students & professionals to acquire proficiency in a specialized field of law such as tax law or international law. As far as professional opportunities are concerned, most of the law firms would also like to employ lawyers, possessing an LLM degree, as the degree indicates that a law professional has all the expertises of special legal training and is adequately qualified to work in a multinational legal environment.

The course offers a flexible learning route for law graduates to obtain a professional master degree qualification in an important and well-respected discipline and continuing their practice as well.

To Conclude

Finally it can be said that, legal education not only provides future responsible lawyers with the prowesses to work on journals, in moot court competitions & a broad range of law organizations, elevating their writing and advocacy skills, but a study programme in law also enriches them with the ability to get exposed to relevant and diverse political, legal and cultural scenarios.

Article Source: bit.ly/1ycmQ5N, bit.ly/1nyGFOR, bit.ly/1ovYBto, bit.ly/1AZN9jV

Committed to Educational Development, Says 6th BRICS Summit Declaration

Image Courtesy: bit.ly/1pEKiFp

Education is one of the main pillars of development for many emerging economies. You cannot overlook the role education plays in strengthening national economy and advancing industries. So I think it was a welcoming move from the BRICS nations when they highlighted education at the 6th BRICS summit.

Let’s have a look at what the leaders decided at the summit....

Education for All

Recently leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa have “reaffirmed” their commitment to speed up progress to achieve their “Education for All” goals by 2015 at the 6^th BRICS Summit in Fortelza, Brazil.

The leaders of the BRICS nations agreed through the 6^thBRICS Summit-Fortaleza Declaration that it is imperative to attain their Millennium Development Goals, which are related to education, by the year 2015. These emerging nations also decided that the agenda for educational development after 2015 should be based on the present goals and build on them. I believe this will ensure quality, reasonable and comprehensive education and continuous learning for everyone.

At the conclusion of the BRICS Summit, the Fortaleza Declaration stated, “We recognize the strategic importance of education for sustainable development and inclusive economic growth. We are willing to strengthen intra-BRICS cooperation in the area and welcome the meeting of Ministers of Education held in Paris, in November 2013. We intend to continue cooperation with relevant international organizations. We encourage the initiative to establish the BRICS Network University.”

Collaborating for Development

Image Courtesy: bit.ly/1r6TS51

The Fortaleza Declaration also mentioned that in March 2014 the members agreed to work together through collaboration, operation, dialogue, capacity building and sharing experiences on matters related to population that mutually concern all the member countries.

The Declaration informed, “We recognize the vital importance of the demographic dividend that many of us possess to advance our sustainable development as well as the need to integrate population factors into national development plans, and to promote a long-term balanced population and development.”

All the participating leaders believe that challenges related to “demographic transition and post-transition” as well mortality reduction and population ageing are probably the most severe challenges that we are experiencing currently. The declaration added, “We confirm our strong commitment to address social issues in general and in particular gender inequality, women's rights and issues facing young people and we reaffirm our determination to ensure sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for all.”

Encouraging Cultural Exchanges

Apart from developing education, the summit also recognised the need for promoting cultural exchanges, which would probably help in supporting education among the BRICS nations. The 6^th BRICS Summit-Fortaleza Declaration said that the leaders will encourage and push cooperation among all the BRICS member nations in the cultural area, particularly on ‘the multilateral basis.” This decision is important as the relation between sustainable development and culture is crucial for overall advancement. Moreover the role that cultural diplomacy plays as an advocate of understanding between individuals also led to the decision.

Realising the advantages of cultural exchanges and the importance of cooperation in improving camaraderie and mutual understanding, the declaration added, “We will actively promote greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of each other’s arts and culture. In this regard, we ask our relevant authorities responsible for culture to explore areas of practical cooperation, including to expedite negotiations on the draft agreement on cultural cooperation.”

The BRICS Group

BRICS is an association of 5 foremost developing national economies, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. All the member countries are emerging or recently industrialised nations, notable for their prominent and rapidly advancing economies. All of the 5 BRICS countries are members of the G-20 and represent around 3 billion people, as of 2013. The member countries stand for 18 per cent of the global economy, as of 2014.

Do you think the BRICS nations will actually be able to achieve the “Education for All” goal by 2015? Let us know your opinions and feel free to post your comments....

Article Source: bit.ly/1tzia9f, bit.ly/1kTpYh1

How Does the Union Budget for 2014-15 Affect Education?

Image courtesy: bit.ly/1yvyJFT

In the Union Budget for 2014-15, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley covered almost every aspect of the education sector including education for girls; reforming University Grants Commission (UGC) into Higher Education Commission; establishing National Multi-Skill Mission and even developing online learning in the country.

How Budget Affects Education

The education sectors was allocated a total of Rs.68,728 crore for 2014-15. This is an 11.1 per cent increase from the revised budget estimate in 2013-14 which was at Rs.61,857 crore. From the overall allocation, Rs.51,828 crore is for the school sector, which is a 9.9 per cent rise from the 2013-14 revised budget estimate. The higher education sector saw an increase of 14.98 per cent from the previous year and was allocated a total of Rs.16,900 crore.

“World Class” Learning Centres

The major portion of the higher education budget, amounting to Rs.7,138.97 crore, was kept aside for technical education including the IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) and the IITs (Indian Institutes of technology). Jaitley said, “The country needs a large number of centres of higher learning which are world class.”

The Finance Minister also proposed to establish 5 more IIMs (in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha) and 5 more IITs (in Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh). For the current fiscal year, these 10 proposed institutes were allotted a sum of Rs.500 crore. After the completion of the project, the nation will have 21 IITs and 18 IIMs.

Training Our Teachers

Image Courtesy: bit.ly/1rtfJVm

The Union Budget for 2014-15 also proposed to initiate a school assessment programme which plans to incorporate latest training tools; while another scheme, the Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya New Teachers Training Programme, was also proposed for teacher training and development of education. Arun Jaitley allotted Rs.500 crore particularly for this initiative.

Union Budget and Online Learning

The budget also focused on the need for developing online education and providing proper infrastructure so that students from every part of the country can access e-Learning programmes. The government will set aside Rs 500 crore for the Digital India Programme which will make sure that broadband connectivity is available throughout the nation, even at the village level.

The Government of India aims to use online learning tools to expand the reach of education so that students from deprived classes and from remote areas can also get access to educational resources. Several Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are already being offered to the students nationwide. This has resulted in the development of a new learning model which makes the use of various online platforms.

Supporting Online Education

Image Courtesy: bit.ly/1ss7Xhl

The Government has also implemented various initiatives that will encourage students to enrol in web-based distance learning programmes. It has also provided funding to a number of universities and colleges under the NMEICT (National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology) for offering tablets to learners at subsidised rates.

The Union Budget for 2014-15 will surely provide support to education experts and stakeholders so that the online learning sector can progress further in the nation. Different colleges and reputed online institutes are now striving to offer personalised online learning solutions for the betterment of education. These online programmes aim to help students from different part of the country to gain essential skills and build their careers.

What Do You Think?

How do you think the Union Budget for 2014-15 will affect education? Can online learning modes truly help students in remote areas to access accredited higher education programmes?