Archive for January, 2010

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Non Fiction Books: Relating People to Realities of Life

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

 

These books also give an insight into the realities of life. It may be related to earth and the evolution of the human race. The facts regarding the geography and the future of the world may also be included in these books. So, reading them exposes people to realities of life. I see people of all age groups reading such books. The difference only lies in their interests. Kids normally prefer to read books that give them knowledge about their subjects. People of higher age group prefer novels and books that relate them to the complexities of a happening.

Non-fiction category of books opens up the world of information and helps people gain authentic knowledge in one’s lives. The user is more or less gratified by the services. The users remain contented with the knowledge that they gain.
Non Fiction Books are also sometimes available at discounted price rates. So, buyers should keep a tab of the latest prices that are offered for a book. Information about the prices can be learned by surfing the net and visiting the websites of publishers. The users thus can get the latest information about price details sitting from home and not really having to visit retail book libraries.

I am much impressed with the increasing number of readers of non-fiction books and the role played by the internet. The users of internet can just surf through the net and get names of a category of non-fiction books listed. They can then choose from among the books and place an order for a book from their personal computer. Books are almost instant delivered after the order is placed.

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Medieval Education

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Medieval education is about education that was conducted in the medieval period. Medieval education is seen as quite an unusual form of education. However, by the 15th century, there were options for a student to be educated further. Some schools even housed both genders, but this was during the day only. Children were taught their basics, such as how to read and write. This is because these were the basic requirements if they wanted to be accepted under apprenticeship in any guild.
Medieval education also consisted of peasant children going to school. However, they made up a very small number. They were taught how to read and write, and also studied basic math. This education for peasants was usually conducted at a monastery.
As part of medieval education, noble girls and even boys were sent to learn at nunneries. There, they would receive their basic education. The nuns taught these students how to read and write too. They would also teach them how to pray. Girls were additionally taught how to spin and do needlework amid other domestic skills. http://www.360career.com  These were inculcated in order to prepare them for later life, as these were basic skills required when a woman got married.
If a child took his or her education seriously at a monastery, he or she would have a monastic life. However, this was quite rare for an average townsman or peasant. Also, these individuals would be carefully selected for these ranks. If they were deemed suitable according to their demeanour, they would be brought up by the monks.
Today, medieval education practices are still visible. The same monastery education students are given is a clear reflection of it. The education that children receive at missionary schools in various parts of the world also reflects similar forms of education. A major difference that is seen is the widespread existence of books. In medieval times, there were many schools that operated without the use of books. Students were taught by skilled masters, and were often educated for dubious benefits. The rich or others that did provide education in medieval times did so for their personal gain. There were very few that really wanted to educate people in the true spirit of enlightening more minds.

As time has passed by, some aspects of medieval education have faded while others have remained. It can be argued that the aspects of medieval education that were useful for the purpose of education have remained. Regardless of some characteristics remaining, the overall process has changed a great deal. This is because education could not have the same face as it did hundreds of years ago. Today’s education is different from medieval education in so many ways. For example, you have the inclusion of group work and activity based learning. You also have the inclusion of computers for education in this modern age. No one in the medieval period would have ever contemplated the use of such items.

Another important development to mention, and one that is used almost throughout the world is the Montessori method. This is something that did not exist in the medieval period, and it took many years for it to be popularized since Maria Montessori first used it. Indeed, the Montessori Method cannot be likened to any medieval method of education. It was developed independently as an innovative teaching method. In addition to the Montessori Method, there are other teaching areas today that have been developed without any medieval education influence.

Though medieval education has provided the fundamentals for formal education, some people prefer to deny medieval education methods the credit it is given. They believe that the formal method of students being seated in classrooms would have developed later anyway, whether medieval education used this arrangement or not. This does make sense because it is unthinkable for any other arrangement to be used. It is further argued that it is more likely that this would have been the case in modern education because student interaction is encouraged. For better student interaction, a classroom of a suitable number of students would have been recommended. Regardless of these arguments, we still find many traces of medieval education in our modern setups today.

For more about Medieval Education visit:  http://www.360career.com/content/Medieval-Education.asp

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Will the New Job or New Career Choice I Like be the Right Career for Me?

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

As a psychologist and career counselor, I have worked with thousands of people over the years who are choosing or changing careers, and who are wondering whether they would really like to be in a particular career. Based on this experience, I believe that most people who want to go into a career they think they’d like do not really explore the questions they need to in order to be sure that it’s the right career for them.

Here is a list of 20 questions to find answers to before concluding that a career you think you’d like is really right for you, followed by 9 sources of information for answering these questions:

Questions:
1. In general, why do you think you’d “like” this career?
2. Why is going into this career important to you? What values, needs, and goals does it satisfy?
3. What do you actually know about this career?
4. Do you have any direct experience in this career? Have you had any jobs or volunteer experiences?
5. Have you talked to people who are in this career?
6. Have you done any reading on the career?
7. What are the opportunities? What kinds of money can you make in this field, and where are the openings?
8. What would your typical day be like in this career?
9. What are the drawbacks, disadvantages, and roadblocks of this career?
10. Do your interests match the interests of others in this career?
11. Do you have the aptitudes, skills, and abilities to be successful in this career?
12. Do you have the education or training to get into this career?
13. Do you have the personality characteristics that will make you successful in the new career?
14. Do you have the motivation and energy to follow through and do what you would need to do to get into the new career?
15. What are your “transferable” skills? That is, what skills or knowledge do you now have that you can use in the new career?
16. What skills or knowledge do you have that would not only be transferable, but that would also be a unique advantage in the new career?
17. What will it take to get into the new career? What kind of additional training, education, or experience would you need?
18. Have you developed a specific plan, including timetables and specific goals to be accomplished?
19. Do you have a network of support from family, friends, co-workers, or significant others?
20. Having answered all of the above questions, do you still “like” the career and think it’s a good idea to get into it, and why?

I think you’ll find that there are many resources you can use to help you answer the above questions. Among them:
1. Reading. This would include not only the hundreds of books and pamphlets on careers and career choice, but also publications describing careers (such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor and available on the Internet).
2. Practical experience. Not only is it possible to get a full-time or part-time job, but one can also volunteer at an organization or a company a couple of hours a week, just to get exposure to the area. Usually, any organization is glad to have this kind of help (unless they think you’re an investigative reporter from some newspaper or TV program).
3. Job search counseling. Anyone changing career directions needs a highly competitive job search strategy. This should include resume, cover letter, and job interviewing strategies that are specific to your situation. This may also include advice on researching the job market.
4. A thorough self-assessment. This is not an assessment BY yourself, but an assessment OF yourself. A good career counselor can provide this kind of assessment, which would include counseling and testing.
5. Career tests. In general, tests divide into three categories: 1) aptitude, ability, and skills tests, 2) career interest tests, and 3) personality and motivational tests that focus on characteristics related to the career world.
6. Career coaching. Guided discussions with an expert can help you to clarify your goals, strategies, and commitment.
7. Education and training. Before you launch full-time into a degree program, it is possible to take one course, or a seminar, or a workshop, or a brief certificate program in the new career.
8. Networking. There are many job clubs and career resource centers available to explore new careers. Schools, career counselors, and other professionals can usually give you information on these resources.
9. Informational interviewing. It’s usually not a good idea to go into a career if you haven’t talked to at least a few people who are already in it and can give you the lowdown. You can also talk to people in academic and training programs.

Armed with all of this information and all of these insights, you should now be in a better position to judge whether taking the next step in this new career area makes sense for you.

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