Paying it Forward Down Under

"Let's have a look then" - with those words the professional photographer took hold of my camera. During my recent trip to the southern ocean it seemed everyone had a camera. With wildlife and breath taking scenery all around us photo ops were everywhere. Most of us, were amateurs carrying fairly expensive cameras. Three of our company were professional photographers armed with a dizzying array of technology, who routinely produced amazing pictures. It was intimidating to be even aiming at the same subjects, let alone have one of them analyze my results, but Lionel was a remarkably cheerful and insistent man.

"You've got not a bad eye" he pronounced after skimming through a few of my pictures, "But yer making it hard on yourself". What followed was an unsolicited 30 minute hands on workshop that soon me taking better pictures than I ever imagined. "You got to to be brave enough to take it off auto" Lionel pronounced. I have a Canon Rebel EOS digital SLR. One of its chief selling points was that it is "idiot-proof" - anyone can take great photos simply by using the auto functions. Having disavowed me of that belief, Lionel proceeded to show me  some tricks of the trade and shooting techniques well suited to the types of pictures I was aiming for. "Now go and take a few yerself" were his parting words. 

I did. The results were inspiring, and so much better than what I'd been producing before. When I asked Lionel about why he'd offered to help me, he just shrugged and smiled. "Gotta help a fellow photog now don't I?" he said with his broad New Zealand accent. Lionel's cheerful and selfless instruction, offered for no other compensation other than a love of the craft, improved my photography and added to the enjoyment of an already incredible holiday. It was a classic example of the concept of paying it forward. As I return to my day job I can't but think that perhaps we should all follow Lionel's example. When we see someone starting out, or struggling with an activity that we know and love, it can't hurt to lend a hand, offer a few tips and help them along the way. (For a more detailed explanation of the pay it forward concept see http://www.wikihow.com/Pay-It-Forward)

I've since shown my pictures to dozens of people and have heard many complements. Thanks Lionel! Good on you, as they say down under! Hopefully I'll  pass on a similar favor to someone else one day!

Excellent and Awesome Tips on How to Study Well in College

For many students, being able to study well in college means that they have a better shot at a bright future. If they are able to get good grades, there is a chance that they will get good jobs with substantial paychecks. Indeed, in these economically-depressed times, it only through a good education that they can be able to find better employment.

Being able to study well in college would require you, the student, to develop the skills that will greatly enhance both your memory and your capacity for learning. These skills fall under five specific factors related to memory and learning enhancement.

1. Study Time = This pertains to the number of hours that you spend for studying and just how appropriately you are using them. This does not include the time you spend listening to lectures in class and doing your homework in the evening. Research studies have clearly documented that students do better in their exams if they squeeze in 30 minute to 1 hour study periods in their daily college schedule. While such a short duration may seem counterproductive, in reality, a shorter time period means that you can concentrate better on what you are studying. With study periods of 3 hours or longer, concentration dwindles to the point that you can no longer understand what you are reading.

2. Study Location = This pertains to the places where you choose to hit the books. Although the library remains the best place to study, research has shown that it is more effective if you alternate study places, particularly if you choose locations that are somehow related to the topics that you are reading on. Do you want to be able to understand those complex theories in Biochemistry? Ask your professor if you can study in the chemistry lab. The sight of the many charts and formulas on the walls, as well as the labeled bottles of chemicals can help you to remember what you are studying more. If you want to do even better in your tests, psychologists highly recommend that you study in the exam room or the lecture room that is very similar to where you will be given the test. Study location helps to "color" the knowledge that you are reading.

3. Putting Information in Short-Term Memory (STM) = Not too many students know that cramming and doing all-nighters primarily uses your short-term memory. Unfortunately, STM is not very effective since there are only 5 to 9 bits of information that you can remember at a time. Worse, if you don't reinforce this with constant memorization and repetition, you can expect all the information you have crammed into your brain within 15 to 20 seconds flat. In order for STM to work for you during cram sessions, you can combine all related facts together in easy-to-memorize chunks (a technique known as "chunking").

4. Storing Information in Long-Term Memory (LTM) = Research studies have confirmed that whatever information that you have crammed into your mind during an all-nighter will only stay inside your brain for 2 weeks at the most. For the information to stick inside your head until Final exams, you need to encode this knowledge into your long-term memory. If the information is encoded properly, it will be very convenient for you to get them out of your head during exams. Check out tutorials on techniques such as Mnemonics, the Peg Word Method and the Loci Method.

5. Retrieving Knowledge from Memory = Believe it or not, knowledge retrieval from your memory is actually being facilitated by the exams you take. The easy sections, like Matching Type, Multiple Choice and True or False, help you to develop the skills of knowledge retrieval with the help of "cues". As you move on to the more difficult Essay section, you will find that the "cues" which you have noted in the early parts can actually help you to delve deeper into your memory for the answers to the essay questions (that don't have the "cues").

Discover the basic strategies that will help you to study well in college today!

International PhD Scholarships in Biology at University of Queensland, Australia

The School of Biological Sciences is a large and research intensive unit at the University of Queensland, one of Australia�s most prestigious Universities. The School has broad expertise across the disciplines of ecology and evolution, molecular and quantitative genetics, developmental biology, behavior, plant and animal physiology, and conservation biology. Their research programs span all scales of biological organization, from molecules and cells, to organisms, populations, species and communities, and take advantage of study animal and plant systems in a large variety of habitats. The School has announced a new initiative that has made available a number of PhD scholarships for talented International students who enroll in their PhD program in 2012.

Qualifications

Applicants should possess a Bachelor�s degree with Honours, Master of Science, MPhil or equivalent, and must be accepted into the PhD program at the University of Queensland. The UQ Graduate School website provides further information on the entry requirements for admission to the PhD program (http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/our-research-degrees).

Remuneration

Living stipend (scholarship) of $23,728 per annum for 3 years which is tax free, with the possibility of a 6 month extension. International students normally pay international student fees of $29,600 per year, however individuals successful in gaining one of these scholarships will also be granted a full tuition-fee waiver.

The Application Process

Interested students should identify potential supervisors within their research area of interest (http://www.biology.uq.edu.au/academic-staff) and contact them to discuss potential projects. Strong candidates will be invited to apply for entry to the PhD program, and if accepted into the program will be considered for the School of Biological Sciences International Scholarships on a competitive basis.

For further information:

For detailed information on research programs, see http://www.biology.uq.edu.au/

For furher information on the application process please contact the Postgraduate Administration Officer Gail Walter gj.walter@uq.edu.au

Four Year Doctoral Fellowship for International PhD Students; The University of British Columbia, Canada.

  

Study Subject(s):Courses offered by UCC
Course Level:PhD
Scholarship Provider: The University of British Columbia; Canada

Scholarship Description: 

• The Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF) program will ensure UBC�s best PhD students are provided with financial support of at least $16,000 per year plus tuition for the first four years of their PhD studies. 
• This program allows UBC to continue to attract and support outstanding domestic and international PhD students, and provide those students with stable, base-level funding for the first four years of their PhD studies and research.

Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes

Eligibility:

• Four Year Fellowships may be held by domestic and international students. 
• In general, the fellowships are offered to students beginning their first year of PhD studies, but may be offered to continuing PhD students.
•  In all cases, funding is offered until the end of the fourth year of PhD studies, subject to satisfactory academic progress. Students holding the following Tri-Agency awards automatically become 4YF designates: Vanier Scholarships, Doctoral Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGSD), CIHR Doctoral Research Awards, NSERC Doctoral Postgraduate Scholarships (PGSD), and SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships.
• Doctoral students who obtain Tri-Agency scholarships may be eligible for 4YF tuition coverage and will receive 4YF stipend and tuition support once their external scholarship funding ends, to the end of the fourth year of PhD studies. 
• Other major external scholarship winners who are selected as 4YF designates may be eligible for 4YF tuition coverage and will receive 4YF stipend and tuition support once their external scholarship funding ends, to the end of the fourth year of PhD studies.

Further Scholarship Information and Application: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/four-year-doctoral-fellowship-4yf

United World College International Baccalaureate Diploma Scholarship, Malaysia

Study Subject(s): Courses offered by the university
Course Level: Diploma
Scholarship Provider: UWC National Committee (NC) � Malaysia
Scholarship can be taken at: Malaysia

Eligibility:

�         Malaysian citizen.

�         Resident in Malaysia and having completed Form 5 and sat for the SPM (or currently in the final year of ICGSE or equivalent) in Malaysia. A student who purports to be resident in another country straight after Form 5, without their family being with them would not qualify as IQ and the application would be carefully scrutinized.

�         Between the ages of 16-19 years as of the 1st August in the year of entry to UWC.

�         Those on refugee status should contact the NC directly.)

Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes

Scholarship Description: Each year the UWC National Committee (NC) � Malaysia will receive from the UWC colleges a specific number of places (which may include a scholarship, bursary/partial scholarship or fee-paying place) for which they select students to study the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Although strong academic achievement is valued highly at UWC, academic achievements are put into perspective with a demanding mix of community engagement, international affairs, physical activities and creative pursuits. Our student intake is deliberately diverse and each of the schools and colleges draws together students from many different nations and backgrounds. Our bursaries, scholarships and fee structures aim to ensure a broad socio-economic mix within the student body that adds value to the student experience and the organization

How to Apply: By Post; for application form, visit the website: http://www.uwc-my.org/

Scholarship Application Deadline: 17 February 2012

Further Scholarship Information and Application: http://www.uwc-my.org/

CONTACT DETAILS:

The Secretariat

(C/o En Ahmad Fhamy Sallehudin)

UWC National Committee � Malaysia

5 Jalan BK3/2,

Bandar Kinrara,

47180 Puchong,

Selangor Darul Ehsan

Telephone: 03 80767843

Telefax: 03 80767829

Email enquiries should be directed to Deborah Mazlan.

Facts About LPN Programs in New York

There are a lot of LPN programs in New York for you to choose from if you are interested in becoming an LPN. As states go this is one of the best ones to earn your LPN qualification because there is just so much choice. Some examples of schools are the State University of New York at Farmingdale, the Marion S. Whelan School of Practical Nursing, and the Lee G. Peters Career Training Center. However these are just a few of the many options. The important thing to ascertain before enrolling is whether or not the school is accredited with the New York State Board of Nursing if you want to become a certified LPN nurse.

In order to enroll in LPN programs in New York you have to meet a few requirements. Unlike in many other states you only have to be 17 or older to qualify. You will also have to have a high school diploma, pass a background test and be in good health to get into most New York LPN schools. Some schools may require that you write an entrance exam to get into the program and study for your qualification.

Good LPN programs in New York will always include practical as well as theoretical classes. In fact if you want to become an LPN you absolutely have to do hands-on training. This is an unavoidable requirement that you have to meet if you want to succeed as an LPN nurse in your studies. Online LPN schools in New York, for example, will not offer the clinical training that you need and you will have to organize that side of things for yourself in order to properly qualify as an LPN. A school or program that offers very little or no clinical training should be avoided altogether.

When it comes to choosing LPN programs in New York you will want to, then, choose one that has good clinical facilities and that will provide you with a high degree of clinical exposure during your time in the program. The better the facilities of a school, the higher the school should be on your list of possible schools to attend. This part of your training is not only essential for the examination, but also for preparing you for your actual career as an LPN nurse in the future, so it should form the basis of your decision.

If you are someone who is going to need financial aid to get through your studies then you may want to only consider those LPN programs in New York that offer financial aid options. There are many LPN programs out there that will be happy to provide you with the financial aid you need. Sometimes the aid is merit based, sometimes it is need based. You may also be able to qualify for loan forgiveness programs where you will be able to have a portion of your loan paid off on your behalf. In return for this you will be required to work for a set period of time in a designated undeserved facility as an LPN once you have qualified.

Out of District: The Benefits of Travel

The start of a new year found me away from my desk and out of district. Actually, right out of the hemisphere, spotting penguins in the Snares Islands in the sub Antarctic south of New Zealand. It was my second trip to Antarctic climes. Last year my wife and I were able to camp overnight on the Antarctic peninsula. Our preference for the far south may come from living in a place where winter reigns supreme much of the year, but I think it has more to do with my wife's fascination with penguins, and her life long desire to see them in their natural settings. (for a cool penguin classroom tool see penguinscience.com) Traveling to the Antarctic requires considerable planning. The region is accessible only at certain times of the year, getting there is a challenge, and fitting the trip into a work schedule is never easy.

And yet it is all so worth it! The benefits of travel far outweigh the reasons not to go.  Travel frees the mind and provides first hand experiences far beyond anything one can see on tv, the internet or in books. There really is no substitute for being there. If a chance comes up to go to a place you've always wanted to go - take it! Fortunately I work with colleagues who think the same way. Our Director of Instruction took a gap year and moved his whole family to live in France, and the district's superintendent and board of trustees support requests for time for international travel, believing such trips promote well rounded and better energized personnel. Human resource research supports the idea that employees who travel and move outside of their comfort zones are more likely to have the flexibility and improvisation skills to deal with the demands of the 21st century workplace.

Travel benefits students as well. Brightspark (Simplifying Student Travel) illustrates this point, with their 10 reasons why teachers should definitely consider traveling with students. SD 60 students have journeyed to Japan, Europe and South America. This spring, our secondary gifted program students are headed to China. Without exception, these journeys provide experiences above and beyond the benefits of traditional instruction. Students share their stories with family, friends and classmates, thus becoming living learning resources. Travel is real life learning that broadens a student's perspective on on other countries and cultures. St. Augustine wrote "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." Here's hoping 2012 brings people opportunities to turn as many pages as possible!