Posted by admin on January 18th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
Copyright 2005 Adam Waxler
I often have teachers ask me what is the best approach to classroom management?
As a veteran teacher I have seen far too many teachers fail because of classroom management problems. (Remember, classroom management and student achievement are directly related.)
And, all too often I see teachers resort to all types of crazy classroom management plans trying to get a handle on student behavior.
Unfortunately, many of these classroom management plans involve elaborate systems of rewards and punishment. For example, writing students names on the board with check marks added next to the name for each inappropriate behavior. Not only is this degrading, but the effectiveness of this classroom management plan is short-lived at best. In fact, often times this classroom management plan can have the exact opposite effect on student behavior.
Likewise, rewarding students for behavior that is expected of them sends the absolutely wrong message. Teachers should not reward a student for acting appropriately in class. Rewarding appropriate behavior is not effective classroom management, it is bribery and the students will come to expect it. Don’t get me wrong, I am not speaking about a pizza party or movie after a week in which the students worked well in class. That type of reward is fine as long as it is unexpected. The type of rewards that are bad are the ones in which the teacher promises upfront that if “you behave today, I will give you a piece of candy.” No, the student should behave in class because that is what’s expected. Little Johnny will not throw his pencil across the room, because it disrupts the learning of the other students and can be dangerous, not because he will get candy!
So, if teachers do not give rewards or punishments as a classroom management plan, then how do teachers effectively manage student behavior?
Easy, the key to classroom management is keeping students actively involved in the entire lesson. This is done with just a handful of simple teaching strategies.
Here are five effective classroom management tips you can use in any classroom regardless of subject or content area. These classroom management tips will keep all students actively involved in all classroom lessons. (Remember, keeping students involved in the lesson is the most effective classroom management plan.)
1. All-Write: Instead of having students raise their hand to respond to a question aloud, have all the students write down an answer to the teacher’s question. Not only will the teacher get much more class participation, but the quality of student responses will also improve.
2. Pair/Share: Have students pair up with a partner and share their answers before discussing it as a class. This gives the students a chance to respond without the anxiety of speaking in front of the entire class and also allows the teacher to “monitor” the room and talk to various students about their responses. The “pair/share” is great teaching strategy to use right after the “all-write” strategy.
3. On-the-Clock: Give students specific time limits to complete tasks and make sure you stick to those time limits. By putting students “on-the-clock” the teacher helps the students stay focused. I even use an egg timer to make this teaching strategy even more effective.
4. Check-for-Understanding: Not understanding the teacher’s directions is a major cause of classroom management issues and student behavior problems. Therefore, no matter what set of directions a teacher gives, the teacher should always “check-for-understanding” by simply asking a couple of students (at random) to repeat the directions back to the class.
5. Do Now: Effective classroom management starts from the second students walk into the classroom. Therefore, the “do now” is a short assignment that the students are to complete as soon as they enter the classroom. Personally, I put up 1-4 review questions on the board every day as the “do now” assignment. The “do now” gives the students something to do right away and is a great opportunity for review.
Remember, effective classroom management is not about rewards and punishments. Effective classroom management is about the teacher keeping the students actively involved in the entire lesson. By practicing the teaching strategies above, teachers will greatly reduce classroom management problems.
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Posted by admin on January 17th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
In this article we’re going to discuss what a student can do in order to get a scholarship to help pay for his college expenses.
One of the myths that needs to be done away with is the one where students believe that there is no way they’re going to get a scholarship because they don’t have good enough grades, their SAT scores aren’t high enough or they just don’t have the smarts.
There are many ways to get scholarships. The traditional way and your main scholarship will be from good grades. There is no getting around that. A student at the top of his or her class with good SAT scores, when accepted to a college will most likely get a full or at least partial scholarship to the school of their choice. Of course a lot of this has to do with the school itself. The more elite schools will have stricter requirements for giving out scholarships. For example, a student applying to a county college may get a full scholarship for being number one or two in the class while that same student when applying to an Ivy League school may only get a partial scholarship or none at all. But again, good grades and SAT scores are only part of the equation.
The next part of the equation is economic need. There are many organizations who provide funds for students to go to school who simply can’t afford it. The main organization for this is FAFSA. A student’s first step in financing their education should be to file an application for financial aid with FAFSA. You can get an application for this at any college office or fill one out online. After filing, their program will immediately tell you, based on your reported income, how much money you will be expected to pay towards your child’s education. For example, if your child is going to a school that is going to cost $30,000 a year and the FAFSA application says you are responsible for $20,000 then that means you should be getting $10,000 in aid from the government after you have submitted the paperwork to them with your school expenses.
Does that mean you’re stuck with paying $20,000 for your kid’s education? Not at all. Even if the college itself doesn’t give your child any money, there are plenty of other places to get funds from.
Go to your local library or do an online search. You will find literally hundreds of private organizations that offer scholarships for students. Each one has different requirements but they all usually fall into one of several criteria.
The first criteria is that some of these organizations offer scholarships based on grades and SAT scores. In these cases, simply submit this information to the organization. They will get back to you and let you know if you’re going to get a scholarship.
Some organizations base scholarships on essays. They pick out the students who wrote the best essays and these are the ones who get scholarships. There may be three scholarship awards for these essay contests.
Then there are organizations that offer scholarships based on some affiliation that you have such as if you had a family member who fought in a foreign war. Then there are organizations like the Masons, Elks and Rotary, that offer scholarships if a family member is part of their organization. Most of these organizations are districted and usually give out only one or two scholarships per district.
So, as you can see, there are more ways for your kid to get money for college besides just getting good grades. But they do help.
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Posted by admin on January 17th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
Graduation Invitation Products: High School/College Graduation 2006 Product
There are certain events in your life - graduations, your wedding, first day on the job - that is real milestones in a person’s life. A graduation party celebrates both a job well done and a very bright future. This year, millions of families will get together to celebrate the graduate’s accomplishment and toast his or her future. It’s a special day, and we’ve come up with plenty of suggestions to help you make it special. Look below to find just a small sampling of the many products that are available graduationsource.com.
Graduation invitation products: Need a great idea for your graduation products? How about a unique graduation invitation card, personalized invitation card, custom invitation card, white shirt, black shirt, lapel pins, keepsake tassels or that perfect personalized gradation party supplies. If you are looking for graduation party supplies graduation-source.com offers all office supplies for graduation things it provides cheap clearance inexpensive graduation party supplies. In the party you can wear a new graduation t-shirts with class names/signatures. Some other accessories also you can use in your graduation party like
Graduation announcement accessories: The closing of one chapter is the opening of another. Graduation from college is one of the most important achievements in a person’s life, a milestone that family and friends want to share. The traditional graduation party announcement serves both as an expected recognition of academic accomplishment and as a calling card to the community-at-large. It’s a way of sharing good news while opening doors for further opportunity.
2006 graduation party catalog: Weekends, typically, are less hectic and people have a little more leisure time than during a busy work week. When friends receive the invitation card on a busy weekday it may likely get tossed into a pile of “get around to it” mail or lost altogether. However, when the invitation arrives on Friday or Saturday, you will most likely get a timely response. This is due to the timing your friends will have to plan for your event on the “weekend”. Your party-goers will have just a little more time to deal with their social calendar, coordinate dates, travel, babysitters and other incidental details. It becomes a coordinated effort on your part that your guests will appreciate.
Home school graduation: How will you be celebrating your son or daughter’s homeschool graduation? There are as many styles of graduations as there are families. Many people who say “my son (or daughter) does not want to participate in a ceremony. What can I do?” It is important to mark the accomplishment in some way, both for the student and for their family and friends. Graduationsource.com homeschool graduation suppliers is a way that recognizes the unique accomplishments of our children and brings honor to the Lord for his work in their lives, but it also want to respect the wishes of these young adults. A traditional “cap and gown” ceremony may be the delight of one student and the dismay of another!
Decorating your graduation party: Decorations of parties enhance the importance of party that may of graduation party of preschool party, high school party or college party. Now a day it becomes a trend of new generation that there should be all category for different look like for preschool have preschool supplies and presents, for high school have high school supplies and presents customized graduation party supplies & favors, law school graduation party supplies. You can decorate you party or ceremony with decorating graduation novelty supplies these products are available online needed person can purchase wholesale and discounted graduation party supplies and services.
Homeschool graduation products: Homeschools are becoming more efficient and streamlined. Homeschoolers are moving away from “twaddle” and towards highly effective, easy-to-use educational programs, whereas (dare I say it?) today’s schools seem heading in exactly the opposite direction. Homeschooling is now clearly more sophisticated than classroom education. We have more (and better) resources to draw upon. We can adapt the latest technology more quickly. We are far more committed to finding out what works, as opposed to what sounds impressive on someone’s resume.
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Posted by admin on January 15th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
Both accounting and finance can be said to be the back bone of
any business organization. If both or even one of them does not
function properly then it can very safely be concluded that the
performance of that particular organization wouldn’t be up to
the mark. In this regard it would not be out of place to first
know what accounting and finance is. Well, accounting can be
defined as systematic recording, reporting, and analysis of
financial transactions of any business.
This definition in itself makes it amply clear as to why
accounting is considered to be so important for any business
organization. After all every business outfit need to have a
detailed and systematic record, report, and analysis of all
financial transaction. If accounting is so important and has
such an important sway on business establishment then wouldn’t
it be proper that people who want to take it up as a carrer,
study it well, learn every aspect of it and then join this
profession. It would make them a real asset in their
organization.
Same thing can be said about finance as well. Its value is easy
to understand. After all a business can function properly only
if its finances are properly taken care of. Any mismanagement in
this regard will seriously affect the smooth functioning of the
organization. Finance after all involves planing of the use of
funds, which includes raising funds, salary of the employees,
investments, cutting costs and various other big and small
issues that keep cropping up in an organization from time to
time. One should be adept in understanding the various aspects
of finance. And what better way of doing this then to take up a
course in finance and understand every aspect of it. It is very
important for people to have a complete understanding of the
subject, for any error here can lead the company into serious
trouble.
However it would be beneficial for aspirants to take up online
courses run by various universities. In this busy world no one
really has time to spend hours in a classroom, more so when the
same thing can be done sitting in the comfort of your home. Not
only is this convenient and saves lot of time, but it also
allows one the luxury to carry on with the work which one might
be doing. However one must understand that whether one takes a
regular course or get enrolled in any of the online courses he
will have to work very hard to gain mastery in the above
subjects and if that happens then only sky can be the limit for
such people.
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Posted by admin on January 15th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
As a teacher, your class has just finished an intensive unit on tall tales, or perhaps an author’s study. You’ve read numerous examples of vivid, powerful writing, discussed these, pointed out the salient characteristics, listed the aspects of story that really brought them to life. All in all, an extremely rich, satisfying, language arts experience. So motivating, in fact, that you decide a terrific culminating activity would be to have students use what they learned as a jumping off point for creating stories of their own. Give the children an opportunity to apply the stuff of good writing to their own writing - using literature as the jumping off point.
Your students begin the writers’ workshop with a little less enthusiasm than you anticipated. Some students get off to a great start, but are “finishing” fifteen minutes later. They seem resistant to revision - after all, they’re “done”. Others spend an inordinate amount of time “thinking” about what to write about and cannot seem to put pencil to paper. Another student has visited the pencil sharpener about seventeen times, grinding the offending pencil into a stub. Meanwhile, some students, claiming to be involved in a “peer conference” are disrupting the class with chatter, another is “illustrating” while another is reading the latest Harry Potter book, looking for inspiration. Still other students launch into creative, but rambling tales that become near epics, from which a successful conclusion seems impossible. A number of students have their hands raised, or approach your desk, all wanting your attention and input at the same time. You have a knot in your stomach and are overwhelmed by the sense that things are spiraling out of control. Three weeks later you’ve managed to conduct individual conferences with only a handful of students, you’re needling, redirecting, challenging, and somehow it doesn’t seem as though much progress has been made. The luster has gone out of this project, that seemed so bright at the start. The students are bored, you’re frustrated, and most everyone in the class looks forward to being done with it.
Does this scenario sound familiar? What exactly is it that can bridge the gap between great literature and its application to student writing?
The answer is twofold — skills and a practical methodology that works in the real world of the classroom.
There is a common misconception that if we read a lot, talk about what we read, and then provide plenty of outlets for writing, that in the process, good writing will emerge. Truthfully, for the extremely well-read, self motivated, or innately gifted writer, there is some possibility of this. However, for most students and teachers, something is missing. Simply encouraging students to engage in “free-writing” followed by a conference is not enough to produce a community of strong, enthusiastic writers. What is missing are specific instructional strategies designed to teach the specific skills inherent in powerful writing!
During the whole language era, the idea of teaching discrete skills took on a negative connotation. Somehow, practicing specific writing skills seemed to suggest “basel-izing” the writing process. This was unfortunate, because, in all art forms - in music, theater, the visual arts, and in writing, powerful communication is delivered through carefully honed skills. For example, a talented pianist did not become proficient by simply sitting down and “just playing”. A skilled teacher will provide the young pianist with age appropriate, stimulating pieces of music, as well as scales, arpeggios, and exercises to strengthen the fingers and build dexterity. The student learns how to read notes, hear pitches, and learn musical expressiveness through carefully planned exercises and etudes. All of this “skill-work” does not hamper creativity, rather, it provides a vehicle for the successful expression of creative, personal musical thought, sentiment, and intention. In other words, the skills disappear in an invisible support and delivery system that informs and empowers the musician. The same thing is true in writing.
What are the skills necessary to inform and empower good writing? In narrative writing (writing characterized by a main character who experiences a significant event or problem, within a setting, who grows or changes in the process) the skills necessary to shape and support a story are as follows: - an entertaining beginning that draws the reader in and gets the story rolling - powerful elaborative detail that focuses on story critical characters, settings, and/or objects - a sense of suspense or anticipation which builds story tension, and inspires the reader to read on - a single, significant main event (problem, adventure, or life-changing experience)
- a conclusion which draws the main event to a close and an extended ending which demonstrates how the main character has grown or changed.
Once the basic skills are identified, educators need to have a practical, effective methodology for teaching these skills. The methodology needs to be based on solid educational theory and needs to be proven successful in the real world of the classroom. During an instructional improvement program at our school (Mill Hill School in Fairfield, CT) designed to improve student writing, we developed a methodology for the delivery of these key writing skills for our students in grades 2 - 5. The methodology involved whole class instruction, delivered minimally twice a week for 30 - 45 minutes. Whole class instruction provided consistency and assured experiences for all students, that was often lacking in the teach-on-demand scenario common in the writers’ workshop conference model. There are also many other benefits associated with whole class instruction. These include a greater level of directed conversation between students about writing, and opportunities for the class as a whole to benefit from the writerly conversations.
The whole class instruction looks like this:
1. INTRODUCE/DEFINE SKILL through the use of literature. (Middle grade novels provide the best examples of all of the key skills.)
* 2. MODELING - The teacher models the skill in isolation, asking productive questions and “thinking out loud” as an author. (The quality of the questions you ask will determine the quality of student responses. This also is the most powerful method of building vocabulary.)
3. GUIDED PRACTICE - Provide students with an opportunity to practice the skill you’ve modeled. This is a “before and after” revision exercise. Circulate and offer suggestions, share strong examples and excellent attempts.
Steps 1, 2, 3 are repeated numerous times before step 4: Application.
4. APPLICATION - Students apply the skill to a process piece or a timed prompt.
*Most important step!
This methodology made the teaching of writing more manageable, provided a common vocabulary for writing, ensured a greater level of objectivity and accountability, established a powerful reading writing connection, and ultimately nurtured a community of confident, enthusiastic writers. In fact, during the five years we spent developing the specific skill lessons and delivering these skills through the methodology described above, our narrative writing scores for our fourth graders on the Connecticut Mastery Test improved dramatically:
YEAR Percent of students at goal —– ————————— YEAR 1 47%
YEAR 2 65% YEAR 3 75% YEAR 4 81% YEAR 5 92%
These results were not limited to Mill Hill School. In Wilson’s Mills School in North Carolina, as well as in districts in Rhode Island and Alberta Province Canada, to name just a few, when this approach was used consistently, similar results were common. More importantly, students began to become confident, enthusiastic, lifelong writers, and teachers began to feel successful and fulfilled as the facilitators of a practical, effective instructional program that gets results. Eventually, the lessons and methodology became available through an educational consulting firm and publisher, Empowering Writers.
So now think back to the frustrated, disillusioned teacher and class first described and imagine how her scenario would be different using the Empowering Writers methodology.
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Posted by admin on January 14th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
In trying to implement the “No Child Left Behind” Act, schools are scrambling to standardize their curriculum and upgrade their instruction to make sure students can pass achievement tests mandated by the Act. In order to fit all the instruction and other demands of childhood education into the day, many schools have resorted to “teaching to the test,” shortening lunch period, and cutting back on or even eliminating recess.
There are better ways to provide the instruction that students need without relying on boring drills or lengthening an already demanding school day. For years, savvy teachers have been integrating the curriculum - using high-quality children’s literature to teach phonics and other basic reading skills; combining reading and art lessons with history, social studies, science, and math; and relying on the concepts of multiple intelligences theory and differentiated learning to reach every child.
The availability of high-quality children’s literature has never been greater. Children’s book publishers are providing rich collections of compelling stories that reflect the increasingly diverse world of today’s primary and middle school students. Educational publishers are also offering colorfully illustrated, engaging books and periodicals on a wide variety of subjects designed to meet today’s national curriculum standards.
For years dedicated teachers have known about and used mult iple intelligences theory in their classrooms. Harvard graduate school professor Howard Gardner proposed in his 1983 book Frames of Mind that human beings learn by use of seven different intelligences - verbal, logical-mathematical, musical, visual-spatial, tactile kinesthetic, and inter- and intrapersonal. He later suggested that more intelligences exist, among them naturalistic intelligence, spiritual intelligence, and something he referred to as “existential” intelligence. Teachers quickly latched onto this concept to provide a variety of learning experiences in their classrooms involving these intelligences. In addition, they’ve geared their teaching methods to children functioning at a variety of developmental and intellectual levels. The combination of multiple intelligences theory and individualized learning opportunities has in recent years been formalized as differentiated or differential learning. Differentiated learning allows for targeted instruction that will teach children the basics needed to meet state and national requirements while providing support for slower learners and enrichment for learners at all levels. A wealth of materials for both multiple intelligences theory and differentiated learning is available to help teachers structure a supportive classroom environment for all their students.
The demands of the “No Child Left Behind” Act don’t have to result in developmentally inappropriate expectations or rigid scheduling for our children. Schools can use many creative, child-friendly techniques that will help students of all ages meet learning standards while retaining their carefree, fun-loving kid status.
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Posted by admin on January 12th, 2009 — Posted in A Funny Farm, Internet Gambling, Life Of Games
One of the greatest perks of video poker is that there is no time limit. Table play is very fast, so that is typically not an option for new players who have to think out every move. To some extent online poker is also timed, because the online casino can recognize when you are taking too long to make a decision. Any time when you are playing against other people there is a time pressures situation. You need to make decisions fast; otherwise you could be faced with a lot of grumpy players.
However, video poker is completely time limit free. There are no other players to aggravate, so you can take as long as you want making a decision about your cards. It is completely pressure free in that respect. This makes it a perfect game for beginners who need the extra time, or people who just prefer a slower game. As a nice added perk, the slower you play, the longer your money will last. Playing slowly is a great way to stretch you bucks over a long night. You could also slip down into playing one or two coins at a time if you really want to make sure that you stay in the game for as long as possible.
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Posted by admin on January 11th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
If you are pretty talented at art you might not even consider going to Art College. Why should you, anyway? You can draw like the masters: Boticelli, Michaelangeo, Da Vinci. There wasn’t a landscape scene your brushes didn’t like, and there wasn’t any portrait you couldn’t draw. You can sketch anything that exists!
But as with any talent, you must have realized that this is one big world we live in. There is always room for improvement, and although your work might speak for itself, a degree behind you may be just what employers are looking for. Therefore, you muster all your reserves; you pack your easel, your brushes, and your palette and head north to the nearest art college.
1. Good choice?
Art school will definitely benefit you as an artist. Your innate talent will benefit from the proven concepts and techniques you can learn here. It may be that you already know the basics and the techniques of your art. Rest assured that there are always things the art school can teach you that you won’t already know.
Art school also develops in its students a love and appreciation for the different forms of art. It opens to the student new vistas of learning and expressing. Even if only for that reason, Art school would be worth every penny.
2. Who Is Art School Suited For?
Artists are a rare kind. They seem to be able to create masterpieces without complicated theories and computations. It’s as if they are moved by instinct to draw, paint, and create visually pleasing artworks. Some artists, when asked about their artwork, would simply shrug and say they didn’t know what motivated them, and they just felt like painting it. Art school should not aim to correct this freewheeling style of artistry. It should, however, provide the basic techniques and theories on art and creativity. Instead of suppressing natural skill, it should develop and enlighten it by explaining the concepts behind art. Unlike what most people think, there truly is a science behind art.
Artists sometimes just create art. But after Art College, they come to a realization of theories behind what they have done by instinct. Fundamental theories can only improve and supplement the talent students have.
3. What to Learn?
When choosing an Arts College, look into the nature of its programs.
- Is it solely a graphic design school or does it offer courses in other specific areas? - Is this school well-known for its emphasis on its programs? - Is the school recognized internationally? - Is the class size large or small? - How many years will the program be in total? - Does the school provide any statistics or downloadable documents outlining the percentage of its graduates that are now working in their chosen field?
4. Specialize!
Remember that the subject of art is not just a big blob with the label art. It is composed of numerous subcategories and specializations. You need to choose a specialization because if you don’t, your skills will be diffused trying to learn the many branches of art. Try to improve the most at the area of your interest. It could be painting, sculpture, digital arts or others.
5. Be The Best
Also, look into whether the school participates in any graphical arts competitions or has accomplished anything of renown in the industry. This is a sure sign of their commitment to the arts and the education of its students. One of the best things one can get out of Art College is exposure to competition and industry standards. Such competition pushes one from being complacent. If you are to be a better artist, you should never be satisfied with what you already know. You should grab the opportunity to learn new and exciting things.
6. Conclusion
Your education might be the most important investment you make in your life. Without proper training, your chances at success are greatly diminished. A proper Art college will certainly train you and equip you with the tools needed to make it big in your profession.
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Posted by admin on January 11th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
German is one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide. It is the official language of several countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium. After the English language, it is the most commonly known language in the European Union, of which it is one of the official languages. The German language is the third most taught foreign language in the United States, behind Spanish and French, and there are many Americans that can trace their ethnic heritage back to German roots. There are many reasons to learn the German language, such as potential career prospects, current career enrichment, and for enhanced traveling experiences.
If you are interested in learning the German language for professional reasons, you have several options from which to choose. You can attend a college or University and earn your degree in German. Earning a degree in German will provide you with a solid foundation of the German language, both written and conversationally. With a degree in German, you will have a surprising number of career opportunities. If you are bilingual, you can be certified as a foreign language translator for example. This is a stimulating career opportunity that offers you many options. You can work full-time for a foreign language translation firm, translating important business documents or web pages for global corporations. Or you can be a freelance foreign language translator, setting your own work schedule and workload. Another career opportunity is to teach English to students in one of the German speaking countries. By knowing both English and German, you will able to enjoy a lifestyle in a German speaking country where you can have a fulfilling career, and experience the life and culture of another nation.
You might be established in a career, and be required to learn the German language in order to either communicate with overseas business associates, or to relocate. You can enroll in an accelerated German language program online, which is a fast, convenient, and easy way to learn the language. The online course will give you the skills to read, write, and communicate with others. There are several online programs available for enrollment that provide accelerated programs in German, as well as many other languages. You will find that if you need to relocate to a German-speaking country for your job, having a grasp of the language ahead of time will help to make your relocation and transition less stressful.
If you want to learn a little German in order to travel, you might consider combining your learning experience and vacation by participating in an immersion program. Learning the language in this way, you will not only learn how to communicate in German, but you will also experience the vibrant German culture. By traveling to Germany, where the language has its origins, you will become a part of the life and culture, and you will learn the language quickly and with surprising ease. You will learn the conversational and idiomatic styles of the language. You will be interacting daily with native German people who won’t necessarily be willing or able to communicate with you in English. Therefore, you will need to try to communicate with them in the German language. You will become engrossed into the everyday life of Germany. You will learn to appreciate the German culture: the history, the architecture, the food (and beer!), and the people. As part of the immersion program, you will also attend courses in which you will learn how to read and write in German as well. There is no better way to learn the German language and experience Germany.
Whether you are interested in learning the German language for academic reasons or professional reasons, or you are interested in learning how to speak German for a vacation, knowing another language is an intellectually and personally stimulating achievement that will open your eyes to a new culture.
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Posted by admin on January 11th, 2009 — Posted in Education + Training
Call Yield Management:
A call yield management system is one that enables hoteliers to predict and understand their telephony usage in order to optimise their revenue and create more guest loyalty.
Why use Call Yield Management?
Telephone calls are an ideal service to optimise with yield management. The setup of a private telephone network is expensive, both in terms of installation and configuration, therefore it is capital intensive. There is no revenue to be gained from a telephone network unless calls are made, therefore the service is perishable. A telephone network has a stable and average variability of both value (intensive competition has reduced price gaps between local, national and international calls) and demand (tariff reductions mean that people don’t wait until particular hours of the day to make calls).
For hotels, a call accounting, sometimes called a call logging system, is a vital part of call yield management. Historically, a hotel could rely on guests making direct dial phone calls from their rooms. The telephone department operated at around an 80% profit margin and phone revenue could account for around 3% of the total annual revenue for the hotel. It is a fact that over the past few years telephone revenues have been dropping dramatically. There are many reasons for this but the most prevalent are alternatives such as charge cards and mobile phones that have increased their market penetration, while rapidly decreasing their costs. Wireless hotspots and in room HSIA (High Speed Internet Access) have also increased the ease with which people can use alternative forms of communication, other than simple dial up, to access email and instant messaging applications.
The benefits of a call logging system are widely known and the reports from a hotel’s call accounting system can be used to determine the calling patterns of their guests, such as:
==> on/off peak calling periods
==> calls to specific numbers (e.g. Internet providers)
==> calls to particular regions/countries
==> whether guests are making short or long duration calls
==> are guests receiving more calls than they are making (if so, why?)
A call accounting/call logging system can also alert hoteliers to evidence of misuse or telephone fraud by both guests and staff. Telephone bills can be reconciled against the call accounting/call logging reports to ensure that carrier bills are correct. The hotel call accounting reports can identify out-of-service trunks, equipment and lines that the hotel is paying for that are either under utilised or not being utilised at all. These are all areas that, left unmonitored, could very easily erode profit for a hotel.
Call yield management combines these call accounting/call logging reports, along with the guest data, to profile the different types of guests and how they use the phone. Future demand can then be forecasted and the hotel can assign calling rates based upon the check-in status of each guest. VIP’s, loyalty guests and international visitors, can all receive different calling rates. If most of the international visitors to a hotel came from a handful of countries, then the hotel would maximise revenue by negotiating good long distance rates to those countries beforehand and offer attractive call packages to those visitors. Loyal guests would receive lower calling rates and/or special rates to their top 5 frequently dialled numbers. A standard guest may receive a different set of calling rates that vary depending on if their occupancy period falls within a time when telephony usage at the hotel is either high or low. By utilising such guest centric charging (i.e. charges that are individual to a guest rather than the room they stay in), call yield management can help stimulate room yield through the loyalty enhanced experience that guests receive.
Good call yield management solutions will increase revenue by providing hoteliers with cost management that aids decision making. It enables them to understand the diverse purchase drivers of their guests and forecast the high demand and low demand periods, enabling guests to self-sort based on their price sensitivity. The cheaper calls in the low demand periods are balanced by the increased call charges in the high demand periods, so the hotel benefits from a smoother revenue flow. Call pricing also needs to be harmonious with other communications services like fixed and wireless HSIA. Imbalances cause migration between services and the associated dilution of overall yield. In most cases, organisations that have used yield management effectively find that they achieve greater profitability and a clearer understanding of the yield achieved across telephony, HSIA and rooms.
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