Towards an Effective Learning Environment
by Alan Pritchard
THE PRAISE MODEL (Part 1)
PRAISE is an acronym for a set of behaviours, strategies and structures which enable teachers to create learning environments that promote good practice and foster high achievement amongst pupils. I have used these ideas myself in the fifteen years I spent as a primary and secondary classroom teacher, so they are not merely theoretical notions, but tried-and-tested approaches that are based on common sense and reflected practice.
At its simplest level, P.R.A.I.S.E stands for:
P - promoting the positive.
R - reducing negative stress.
A - acknowledging the individual
I - illuminating the way forward
S - structuring social interaction
E - encouraging continuous improvement
Notice that the use of the present continuous is intentional. Having an effective learning environment is not something that, once it is created, can remain static. It is, like a living organism, something that needs to evolve and continuously adapt. Seeing it as a living entity allows us to realise that it needs to be nurtured, supported, nourished and perpetually enriched in order for it to function effectively.
Over the next five articles, I will focus on each of these elements and provide easy-to-implement ideas that teachers can consider to enhance classroom practice.
1. PROMOTE THE POSITIVE
We live in a society that is, by and large, unashamedly negative. News reports tend to deal with bad news, for that is what sells. The “fascination with the abomination” is something well documented by sociologists and even our weather reports embed the trend for negativity with comments like: “There will be a 70% chance of rain tomorrow,” as opposed to a “30% chance of sunshine?”. Computer games which glorify violence are bestsellers and most things on television revolve around the need for “drama” - something bad has to happen in order to keep our interest. So how can we reverse this trend in our classrooms?
Here are a few simple techniques:
a) Smiley Meet ‘n Greet: acting as a gatekeeper, smile at pupils with your eyes, and try, as they pass into the classroom to provide an uplifting comment / comment of recognition.
Whenever you see the pupils you teach, whether in the corridors or outside in the parking lot or as they enter your room, smile at them with your eyes. Yes, I know we smile with our mouths, but students are quick to spot false-smiles, smiles that are forced. Smiling with your eyes is a way of making eye contact so that you appear naturally happy to see someone.
When you smile using your eyes, your mouth automatically follows and the impression you give is one of sincerity and positivity. This requires a conscious effort not to smile with your mouth first, but rather to let your eyes “do the talking”. Your mouth will follow. Your eyes should “light up” when you see your students - no matter how you feel about them and no matter how poorly behaved they might have been the previous day.
This means that students, when they see you (even if you are not their favourite person in the world), know that - despite their behaviour - your approach to them begins anew each day … that the slate is wiped clean.
Acting as the gatekeeper to your classroom and greeting students enthusiastically as they enter goes a long way towards creating a positive climate / atmosphere and often sets the tone for the lesson to follow. I found that by smiling at them with my eyes as soon as I saw them, and then saying something positive and uplifting as they walked past me to go to their seats, often meant that behavioural issues could be avoided. It takes some practice, this, and you need to be resourceful finding something positive to say to each pupil, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. “Ah, great to see you! I marked your work last night and was well-impressed! Looking sharp and mighty intellectual today, Mary! Ah - the mighty Mike has arrived - greetings, fellow me lad!? - things like this create a playful tone, and students enjoy being greeted personally. Aim to make the first thing you say to each pupil something positive. Compare this to the tone that is created when pupils see you as they enter the room and the first thing they hear is, “For God’s Sake, put on your jacket, John,” or “Spit out that gum, Glen.” A negative command at the start of the lesson - often even before the student has had a chance to sit down, creates a negative atmosphere, and can lead to confrontation later in the lesson.
b) Positive phone calls home: Parents expect bad news when you call - buck the trend by phoning home regularly, just to praise the little things the pupil is doing right. If you are a parent, you will know this scenario only too well: you’re at home and the phone rings. It’s your child’s teacher. Are your first thoughts: Great! I am going to hear good news! Or are they Oh, no what has my child done again? What’s it this time? For most parents, receiving a call from their child’s teacher, or head of year, means only one thing - bad news. So try reversing this trend. I found that by calling four parents each day (not the same four parents, obviously), just to tell them about something positive their child had done helped build a constructive relationship with both the parents and the pupils.
Pupils would say to me the next morning “You called my mum last night?” to which I would usually reply, with a smile, “Yes, I know. I was there when it happened!?” And add, “Well, she deserved to hear about the good thing’s you did.”
This was an effective way of praising boys who found it uncomfortable to receive praise in front of their peers.
I also found that if I did nothing else for the first term i.e. just called home to praise even the smallest things, then when I called in the second term to ask for help with behaviour, they would eat out my hand, as it were. It’s amazing to think that many teachers only call home to complain about the behaviour of kids and then wonder why some parents are so unhelpful and unresponsive.
Also, regular positive calls home meant that students would often seek me out the next morning, and they would be the ones saying something positive as they entered the classroom!
c) Use positive peripherals: When students face the board, what do they see? Is there a list of sanctions and names for detention? How many positive, affirming things can be seen when the student faces the front?
Although this is an extreme example consider the following scenario: imagine your classroom walls were covered in graphic pictures from horror movies, full of gore, violence, blood and disturbing images. Would this be an environment you would like to teach in? Do you think you could happily teach with an optimistic spirit with those images staring back at you? How long would it be before they would seriously disturb you?
Yes, as I said, this is an extreme example, but I have visited classrooms where lists of the named and shamed are displayed for all to see yet, no positive lists or indicators of visible praise can be seen to counterbalance the negativity. In other rooms, the field of vision is filled with classroom rules and administrative procedures, which, important as these may be, do not create an atmosphere that uplifts the spirit.
So think of ways to enliven the students peripheral field of vision. Perhaps you could have all the classroom rules displayed at the back of the room so that they are immediately visible when students enter the room. When students are seated and facing the board, maybe you could have things that are positive placed on the walls to their left and right field of vision. These can be examples of exemplary work neatly displayed, with positive phrases between them. I have seen some rooms where teachers photocopy cartoons and humorous pictures onto A3 and regularly change them so they don’t become stale placed here too. Then, directly around the whiteboard why not create a “celebration space” which you can use to fill with posters that “sing the praises” of the students you teach. These can be photos which celebrate the extra-curricular achievements of students in drama, sport or cultural affairs. Or you can make place for positive and uplifting posters with words of wisdom and arresting visuals. I have met teachers who, in schools which use detention still, get the students to create fun and bright posters that support the learning objectives of the next day’s lessons. So essentially, the students “punishment” consists of making colourful displays which are used the next day to complement the learning content of the class.
Copyright (c) 2009 Positively MAD
Over the last ten years, Positively MAD has developed a formidable reputation in the education market place as one of the country’s leading providers of student workshops, teacher training and world-class supportive resources. http://www.positivelymad.co.uk/resources/
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How World War 2 unfolded.
by Richard McMunn
On the 28th June 1919 The Treaty of Versailles was signed after six months of negotiations at the Paris peace conference consisting of diplomats of more than thirty countries including President Woodrow Wilson of the United states, Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Great Britain and Georges Clemenceau of France, diplomats from Germany and Russia were not allowed to attend, however many representatives from various nations spanning the globe were in attendance each with their own agenda.
The conference opened on January 18th 1919 and was for the next six months effectively the centre of world government, disbanding bankrupt nations creating new states, widening and narrowing borders, imposing sanctions for which Germany and its allies of the Great war came under the most scrutiny. Georges Clemenceau of France main goal was to weaken the military might and economy of Germany, as being witness to attacks on French soil by the Germans in the past, wanted guarantees that Germany could never be in a position to attack France again. Clemenceau also sought a guarantee of security from America and Britain in case of a German attack once again in France.
Britain’s approach to the conference and main objectives were to ensure the security of France, remove the threat of the German high seas fleet, set territorial contentions and gain support for the Wilsonians League of Nations. With the arrival of the Woodrow Wilson at this time the first serving United States President to visit Europe came with high hopes and expectation, with Wilson’s diplomacy and fourteen points which had essentially brought the end of hostilities of World War One, much it seemed rested on Wilson and the United States. Conflicts of interest soon became a reality as the French and British refused to accept some specific points and its core principals of the Fourteen points, while Wilson argued that Article 231 of the treaty imposed on Germany was neither fair or warranted, the British and the French tried to appease the President by consenting to the establishment of the League of Nations, however as some of the leagues charter conflicted with the United States Constitution, America never joined the League of Nations and never ratified the Treaty Of Versailles, it would not be until 1921 when the USA would sign a separate Treaty with Germany and its defeated allies.
On April 29th 1919 the German delegation arrived in Versailles under the leadership of the Foreign Minister Ulrich Graf Von Brockdorff - Rantzau, on May 7th the enormity of the sanctions imposed by the victors including the so called ” War guilt clause” was dictated to the German delegates, Von Brockdorff-Rantzau replied, We know the full brunt of hate that confronts us here. You demand from us to confess we were the only guilty party of war, such a confession in my mouth would be a lie. After learning the full extent of the sanctions to be imposed the German government swiftly issued a protest for what it believed to be unfair demands and a “Violation of Honour” and quickly withdrew from the proceedings, Germany’s first democratically elected chancellor Philipp Scheidemann refused to sign the treaty and in a passionate speech before the National Assembly called the treaty a Murderous plan then exclaimed “Which hand, trying to put us in chains like these, would not wither? The treaty is unacceptable” then swiftly resigned from office.
To learn more about World War Two and the battles that the brave men and women fought then World War 2 Books is the place to visit.
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Try Getting Your Masters Online
by John Simon
In order to get that promotion you feel that you deserve, it’s often necessary to further your education. One of the best, and most convenient, ways to do this is to explore earning your Master’s degree online. This innovative and exciting method of personal and professional improvement has the benefit of allowing you to enhance your career opportunities by earning a graduate degree.
Earning your Master’s degree will get you on the right track toward higher pay, more interesting and challenging work, and unlimited growth potential. Getting a Master’s degree online is perfect for those who are looking to promote within an organization, seek employment elsewhere, or who want to change the course of their professional lives entirely. It is convenient and flexible. Several online Universities offer accelerated degree programs, and most all Universities permit students to seek their graduate degrees on a part time basis.
There are many advantages of choosing to earn a Master’s degree online. There is no need to live near or commute to a school when classes can be attended and coursework submitted online. This provides a vast array of excellent accredited University from which you can choose to attend. Attending graduate school online is a great option if you have reservations about returning to school after several years. Choosing this route can make it easier to ease into the routine of class work and projects, and can reduce the stress of feeling the need to fit in with younger classmates. Additionally, course availability if often convenient for those who work full time and/or care for a family. Universities often offer evening and weekend sections of courses, which will interfere very little with personal and professional commitments.
There are many Master’s degree programs available to earn online. M.B.A. programs, Nursing, Information Technology, Healthcare, Education, and Liberal Arts are but a few of the examples of graduate degrees available. These degrees are available from many accredited colleges and Universities. These institutions may be online-only schools that offer cutting edge technology in distance learning. Nearly all major traditional colleges and Universities are now offering some type of Master’s degree programs via online learning, seeing the advantages of becoming part of this exciting time in technology.
You might be concerned about affording graduate school. After all, graduate tuition is significantly more expensive than undergraduate tuition. This is no different from attending a traditional face-to-face college or University. Financial aid is often available to students who wish to earn their Master’s degrees online. This aid comes in the form of grants, loans, and even scholarships awarded to qualifying students. Make sure to check with the University of interest, as some only award certain types of aid to full-time students. Also, many employers may be willing to pay for part or even all of an employee’s tuition. After all, investing in an employee’s future is also investing in the organization’s future.
There is a big misconception that earning your Master’s degree online will not be as enriching an experience as attending face-to-face classes at a traditional University. This is not necessarily the case. While it is true that attending school online does require a certain amount of self-discipline and motivation, programs offered online present the same opportunities for group work, independent study, and interpersonal communication as their traditional counterparts. In fact, earning your Master’s degree online might help to facilitate the learning process as well as develop time management skills. It also gives you the added benefit of increasing your knowledge of the Internet and its technologies, which may help to advance your career even more. Earning your Master’s degree online is a valuable, convenient, and flexible way to broaden your career opportunities.
Want to find out about effective study skills and best places to study? Get tips from the Studying Tips website.
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Online Education The Changing Face of Education
by Scott C
Opportunities in education today would have been impossible even a few decades back. With the popularity of the Internet, easy accessibility to computers and the World Wide Web, higher education has been transformed into a new dynamic entity. With technology progressing at a rapid pace and demands changing almost daily, our lives are only becoming busier. The world around us is left with no option but to change and move along with the times to accommodate to our new schedules and requirements. This is more than apparent in the field of education. As times change, fewer and fewer students rely on the traditional method of attending classes at a college campus. The ‘brick and mortar’ type of education still exists but now side by side with the option of graduating from an online degree program as well.
As the number of people who look for ways to complete their education or improve their skills becomes too large, it is inevitable that a large number of colleges and universities take the necessary steps towards filling that need. But jobs, childcare and other family obligations limit the amount of time people can devote to their education, and thus, alternative arrangements are created. Online education has started gaining popularity and has now completely changed the way we approach education today.
Online degrees are now widely accepted and recognized as authentic educational qualifications. As long as the institution offering the degree is accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, there should be no problem in the degree being accepted and acknowledged anywhere. Fully accredited online degree programs are now available in nearly every field. From management to medicine, law to accounting, there is a wide variety of choices on offer. Even obscure subjects and fields of study have found their place on the Internet. With degrees such as healthcare, students are even given the option of combining the practical aspect of their training at local hospitals or clinics along with virtual classes and studying online.
The flexibility of online education has opened up the doors of education to people from all walks of life. Stay at home moms and dads can now study from their own houses and employees can complete their assignments around their work schedules. There is 24 hour accessibility to the study material allowing for all night study sessions as well as the possibility of returning to subject matter again and again if necessary. And as universities continue to expand their options, the flexibility of online education will only increase. Students will be offered more options with the possibility of a custom created curriculum that suits their individual requirements and interests.
Distance learning also allows people hundreds of miles away to graduate with degrees from the college of their choice. Without spending a penny on gas or transport, students can make the most of a world class education with resources and faculty from all over the world. Through pre-recorded lectures, worksheets, assignments, e-classes, online forums, and tests, students can view, interact, and study from the comfort of their own space.
With a more flexible attendance policy, students can choose to tackle their workload as quickly or as slowly as they need to (all within a larger pre-determined schedule, of program). While this freedom may prove to be a little daunting to a new student, after completing a few programs, it becomes easier to get used to this new way of studying. To be successful in an online program, a large amount of self discipline and motivation is imperative. Without which it is all too easy to take advantage of the flexibility of the program and not achieve much. And while online education is definitely less expensive than a traditional degree program, to spend time, money and effort on something that is not taken seriously will not accomplish anything in the long run.
Online education in short offers every individual the right information in the right format at the right time for the best chances of success. Once upon a time online schools were considered the next wave of education and that future is finally here — ready to change the way we look at education way beyond the boundaries of any classroom.
Stevens-Henager College, established in 1891, is distinguished as one of the oldest colleges in Utah. It has trained generations of graduates through on-campus and online degree programs for Master’s, Bachelor’s and Occupational Associate’s Degrees. Stevens-Henager College also offers accelerated online graduate degree programs for working professionals.
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The History of Men’s Underwear
by Roberto Bell
Underwear is something we often take for granted; it is just a part of life. But how long has it been a part of life and how have men’s underwear evolved over the ages?
When using the word underwear, we assume its meaning to be any garment worn against the body and sometimes under other articles of clothing. The oldest traces of such underwear start with the Egyptians. Although the loincloth is the simplest and probably the first undergarment worn by human beings, hieroglyphics of Egyptians dating back to the 2nd millennium B.C. show how fabric was used to form an undergarment over which they wore a skirt. Pharaohs were often buried when these garments, giving further proof of their existence.
In Greece, the ‘chiton’, an oblong piece of woolen cloth large enough to wrap around the body, was wore and then often fastened beneath by men who were physically active. Over the chiton a ‘himation’, or outer cloak was sometimes worn. Greek slaves simply wore loincloths. The closest article of clothing worn by men in ancient Rome was called a subligaculum, which in modern terms means a pair of shorts or a loincloth and this was worn under a toga or tunic.
It wasn’t until the 13th century that pull-on underpants were invented and underwear became an important garment. These underwear looked like baggy drawers and were called ‘braies’. Knights wore ‘braies’ under several layers of clothing topped by their armor. A braies was stepped into and then laced or tied around the waist and legs at about mid-calf.
By the Renaissance, the braies became shorter to accommodate longer styles of chausses. Chausses were form fitting like modern hose and were not typically covered up. Men’s hose were typically very snug on the legs and open at the crotch, with the genitalia simply hanging loose under the doublet. A shortening of the doublet resulted in often-exposed genitalia, so the codpiece came into being. As time passed, codpieces were shaped to emphasize the male genitalia and eventually often became padded and bizarrely shaped. Henry VIII of England began padding his own codpiece, which caused a spiraling trend of larger and larger codpieces that only ended by the end of the 16th Century. They also often doubled as pockets or handy carrying places for a variety of items.
In Victorian times men’s underwear were divided into two pieces and made of cotton, linen and silk. In America, pre Civil War, “drawers” were worn from the waist down and were typically made of wool flannel. A new design that was knee length with a simple button overlap in front and a drawstring at the waist in the back also became popular. This was also worn with an upper garment made of wool flannel, which was worn next to the skin for added warmth.
By the time of the Industrial Revolution and the invention of water-powered spinning machines and the cotton gin, underwear was being mass-produced. For the first time, people began buying their underwear in stores rather than making them at home. The standard undergarment of this period for men, women, and children was the union suit, which provided coverage from the wrists to the ankles. The union suits of the era were usually made of knitted material and included a drop flap in the back to ease visits to the toilet. Because the top and bottom were united as a one-piece garment it received the name union suit. Hanes opened several mills producing ‘union suits’.
The name ‘Long Johns’, long skin-tight underpants, was actually first used for the long underwear issued to American soldiers during World War II. The name is derived from the old boxing gear worn by John L. Sullivan, who was a boxer in the late 1880s.
As with anything, the union suit went out of style by the 1930s and men were favoring shorter underwear again. By this time elastic was invented which replaced buttons, snaps and ties. The buttonless underwear, as it was known, were considered the first ‘boxer shorts.’
The y-vent crotch on underwear was created by ‘Jockey’ also in the 1930s. In 1936 OMunsingwear’ developed the ‘kangeroo pouch’ underwear which used a horizontal vent.
During the second World War there was a difficulty in obtaining underwear as the first priority were troops abroad. Also there was a shortage of rubber and metal, which meant back with the button fasteners. Before this point, underwear was colorless or white. Because soldiers didn’t want to be too conspicuous during battle while washing their underwear, whites were dyed olive green.
The idea of colored underwear caught on and from the 1950s on, underwear became more innovative and exciting with the introduction of color and pattern. New fabrics were introduced such as rayon, Dacron and DuPont nylon. Nylon tricot briefs were made in a multitude of colors. This was followed by the introduction of Lycra and Spandex.
In the 1970s and 1980s briefs got briefer and underwear was becoming a ‘fashion’ item.
In the 1990s, retailers started selling boxer briefs, which take the longer shape of boxers but maintain the tightness of briefs. Though marketed as a new design, these are actually quite similar to the bottom half of the two-part union suits worn in the 1910s.
Other types of underwear used today include Bikinis, Thongs and G Strings. The choice for men when it comes to underwear is almost limitless, unlike that of their predecessors who were only given a loincloth to cover up with.
At NuWear.com we focus exclusively on mens underwear for those who want to show off a hot physique or just have a little more fun. Our selection includes silk and satin to lounge wear in stretch microfiber and more. Visit http://www.nuwear.com/ online today.
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