How Are You Viewed As A Leader

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How Are You Viewed As A Leader

If youre a direct seller leading a team, or a solopreneur whos guiding your clients to successful transformation as well as working with a few virtual or in-person assistants /employees, you have probably asked yourself: What are the qualities of an effective leader, and do I have them?

These are great questions, and youll find many, many resources to help you answer them.

Paradoxically, you may turn out to be a BETTER leader if you flip that idea upside down and ask yourself What do my team members most want from their leader?
The academic study of leadership has failed, and the reason is that it focuses on the leader, when the appropriate focus is on the followers, suggests research psychologist Robert Hogan, who profiles executives for Fortune 500 companies. When we flip the examination of leadership on its head and look at what followers will follow, we get a better idea of what quality were talking about.

What is it the followers are looking for? he asks. The focus should be on the work force or the team, and what they perceive. Because if they dont perceive the right thing in a leader, youre through.

According to Hogans research, followers want four things: integrity, confidence, decision-making and clarity. But just as important is what followers dont want: irritability, moodiness, untrustworthiness, indecisiveness, needless micro-management and excessive authority. They perceive these things as incompetent, and pretty soon the leveling mechanism kicks in and there is a subtle rebellion.

Sally Jenkins, Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/in-sports-theres-no-faking-leadersh..., accessed 12/3/2012.

The leveling mechanism referred to above ranges from ignoring orders to kicking out the leader.

Whenever you feel like your team is unresponsive to you, its easy to think: Theyre just not as committed/focused/goal-oriented as I am. Though tempting, this idea just helps you justify why its OK for you to stay right where you are.

I invite you to consider that problems with your team are actually an opportunity to move your leadership to a whole new level! Here are some tips.

1. Looking at yourself analytically, are integrity, confidence, decision-making and clarity key qualities you have?
If NO, how can you support yourself to further develop them?
If YES, then look carefully at whether you are actually demonstrating them. Feedback from colleagues and team members whose truthfulness you trust can help you with this.

2. Consider the qualities that followers do NOT want. The qualities followers dont want: irritability, moodiness, untrustworthiness, indecisiveness, needless micro-management and excessive authority. Have you been showing any of these, either due to trying conditions in your life or perhaps your personality?
If YES, consider what goal you are MOST interested in: leading a high-functioning team which requires overcoming moodiness, irritability etc., OR giving full rein to your feelings?

3. If you feel confident about the personality traits you exhibit as a leader, then its time to look at how you show up emotionally for your team. What role: trainer, problem-solver, mother, enabler, go-get-em, encourager do you most often embody?
If you said YES to any of these roles, coaching your team is what will move you to a whole new level of leadership and them to a whole new level of performance.

Once youve trained your team, what is left to get in their way is NOT lack of understanding about WHAT to do. What gets in their way is their mindset: what they feel is possible or impossible for them; what they feel they deserve; and what they feel is safe for them to experience.

Coaching (not encouraging, not sympathizing, and not training) is what helps them find their OWN motivation and figure out their best next step forward. You cannot want something for them more than they want it for themselves!

Call to Action

Start within by seriously considering the qualities you have as a leader and how you can further rely on them and bring them out for your team.

Looking to substantially upgrade your leadership ability?
Want to jumpstart your teams motivation and performance?
Will that be easier for you with coaching/mentoring/support to get this done?

Hot College Degrees in 2012

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Hot College Degrees in 2012

If youre wondering which degree to take up in college that will be professionally and personally fulfilling, then weve got some help for you.

Degrees in Computer Science

Computer and information research scientists work directly with computers. They are responsible for the development and improvement of software systems in computation. Their main aim is to simplify and improve the way people work with computers. Median annual salaries could range up to $100,660. The highest salaries computer and information research scientists could earn are more than $153,120.

Degrees in Business

Degrees in business provide students with extensive knowledge of business operations and administration and help develop their quantitative and analytical skills. Equipped with these skills students can take up a variety of business positions. Salaries can vary depending on the level of education and professional qualification of a student.

Degrees in Healthcare

The healthcare industry is one of the few industries that has not been hit as hard by the economic crisis in our country as it continues to hire at a steady rate. A degree in a healthcare program is a great option for those who want to help people in need and are willing to work tirelessly to do just that. The healthcare industry offers a variety of perks and benefits, while giving you the option to pick from a wide range of specializations.

Degrees in Accounting and Finance

A degree in accounting and finance will prepare you to carry out a number of financial duties. These include examining financial statements to ensure that they are in compliance with laws and regulations;maintain records of tax dues, organizing and maintaining financial records and much more. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accountants and auditors can earn salaries of anywhere between $61,690 and $106,880. With the employment of accountants and auditors expected to grow by 16 percent, this makes for a great career choice in 2012.

Degrees in Communications and Media Studies

A degree in communications and media studies is an interesting and engaging career choice for students in 2012. With the rise in popularity of social media, employment opportunities for students in the media and communication industry looks very good. Students now have a choice of pursuing various degrees in this field depending on where their interest lies. Salaries of professionals in this field depend upon job roles and level of education. For example: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that Public relations managers are likely to earn salaries right up to $166,400, giving students more reason to flock to other such media related fields.

Begin your search

College is a decision that you should make taking various factors in to consideration. You should map out a plan of action depending on these factors, starting by beginning your search for colleges. Reviews and testimonials go a long way in helping you narrow down your choices of which college to attend and they are usually pretty accurate in providing you a clear picture of what the college could offer you. According to testimonials of California College San Diego, (a college in San Diego that offers degree programs in business, information technology, graphic arts and healthcare) students can enroll in the programs at the start of every month. They also have the option of completing these programs in as less a year, depending on the program they opt for.

Hopefully, the above mentioned college degrees will help you make a better decision about your education and provide you with an idea of what youd like to pursue as a career.

Higher Studies in UK - Part 1

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Higher Studies in UK - Part 1

U.K. University Rankings

Ranking Institution

(1.) Cambridge university.
(2.) Oxford university.
(3.) London School of Economics.
(5.) University College, London .
(6.) University of York.
(7.) Imperial College.
(8.) Nottingham University.
(9.) Warwick University.
(10.) King's College, London.
(11.) Manchester University.

Undergraduate Entry

Types of degrees offered
1.) Bachelor degrees: these degree courses last for 3 - 4 years. These are equivalent to the Bachelor degrees in India.
2.) Higher National Diplomas (HND): these courses are more vocational in nature and take about 2 yrs to complete.
3.) Foundation degrees: these last for upto 2 yrs and provide a more flexible option for the career-minded students to gain practical and academic skills.

UCAS

All colleges require applicants to submit their applications through UCAS (University and Colleges Application Service). UCAS forms are available in schools, colleges, the British Council and at various education fairs where the representatives from UCAS are present. Applications can also be requested from the website.

Applications are generally available from August 1. The submission of the form begins on September 1 onwards till June 30. Exceptional deadlines are provided for Oxford and Cambridge courses as well as those in Medicine, Veterinary sciences. It is advisable for students to nonetheless apply well before June 30 specially if they are looking for financial aid and scholarships. Applications can be submitted online as well.

Important Application Dates

1 September >> Opening date for receiving Applications
15 October >> Closing date for applications to Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine/ science
15 January >> Advisory closing date for all applications
1 January >> First date for receiving Art and Design Route B applications.
8 March >> Advisory closing date for A and D route B applications
24 March >> Final closing date for A and D route B courses
30 June >> Last date for receiving all other applications.

English Language Requirements

The universities and colleges tell the applicant of the standard of written and spoken English they need to understand in order to take part in lectures, seminars, tutorials and exams. As English is not the first language, most universities and colleges will want require the applicant to have a qualification in English, or to take a specified test in English.

1.) TOEFL - American test of English as a Foreign Language. In the paper based test, a score of 550 or above (600 is recommended for a course with literary content). Comparable figures for the computer based test are 213 or above and 250 or above.

2.) IELTS - International English Language Testing System. Most UK Universities require an overall band score of 5.0 - 7.0 depending on the literary content of the course. The IELTS test report form is recommended as valid for two years. Candidates receive a band score for each of the following skill areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Applicants offering IELTS should offer academic rather than general reading and writing modules.

The forms for these tests are also available online, from respective schools and colleges and through the education fairs held every year.

To know More about UK Scholarships, Universities and Cost for Higher Studies in UK, read the Second Part (2) of this article.

Henry James Led All Performers at the 2009 Washington State Senior Games' Track Meet

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Henry James Led All Performers at the 2009 Washington State Senior Games' Track Meet

Copyright 2009 Ed Bagley

Let there be no doubt about who was the star in the Track & Field venue at the 2009 Washington State Senior Games. Henry James literally knocked the socks off of his 50-54 age-group competition in the 400 and 800-meter runs, clocking 55.17 for the 400, and 2:03.55 in the 800.

James electrified onlookers with his performance, smashing Bob Prather's 2:11.11 mark in the 800 to set a new Senior Games record. Last year James set the record in the 400 with a 54.83 clocking.

James, who lives in Bellingham, is a late bloomer. He apparently was middle distance runner who attracted little attention while running for Everett High School. He graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Computer Science and Business Administration, but did not compete in college.

He began running again in 2001, thinking he would try a marathon, and joined a training group where he met and made some friends. One of his friends pointed out to him that he had some foot speed. He stopped training for a few years and then started again last year. This year was his second effort in seniors' competition.

James said he knew he was rounding into shape at the right time as he ran the 800 in 2:16 three weeks ago, followed that up with a 2:07 a week ago and then unleashed his 2:03.55 record-setter at this year's Games in Tumwater (WA).

In chatting with Henry James after his performance, he was effusive about the camaraderie he has experienced being around older runners who just cannot give up the sport they love.

Charles Brocato (65-69 age group) of Gig Harbor had a great day as he went triple gold, turning in some great times while winning the 50 (7.62), 100 (13.68) and 200 (29.14).

Among the men, the other best times of the day were recorded by David Ortman (50-54) of Seattle in the 50 (6.74), Steve Worley (55-59) of Salem (OR) in the 100 (13.27), Steve Joyner (55-59) of Bremerton in the 200 (27.06), and Ray Prentice (50-54) of Normandy Park in the 1,500 (4:39.64).

Among the women, best times of the day were recorded by Lynne Clewell (65-69) of Seattle in the 50 (8.75) and 100 (17.07), Shannon Houlihan (50-54) of Olympia in the 200 (36.79), and Susan Hasselgrave (50-54) of Vashon in the 400 (1.29.44), 800 (3:21.39) and 1,500 (7:41.6). Both Clewell and Hasselgrave went triple gold as Clewell also won the 200 in her age-group.

Joyce Trader (70-74) of Seattle also went triple-gold, winning the 50, 100 and 200.

Best times in the 5,000 (5K) were recorded by Rand Iversen (60-64) of Elma (20:006:27 per mile) and Jacqueline Jordan (55-59) of Bellevue (24:037.45), and in the 10,000 (10K) by Russ Otani (50-54) of Lynnwood (39:566:26) and Karen Schoessel (55-59) of Olympia (46:467:33). Jordan also was triple gold after winning the 400 and 800 in her age-group.

Among the men jumpers, best leaps of the day were recorded by Steve Worley (55-59) of Salem (OR) in the Long Jump (16-04), Richard Neidhardt of Olympia (50-54) in the Triple Jump (30-04.25), Dan Cole (60-64) of Olympia in the High Jump (4-11.75), and Louis Baucom of La Center and William Shugart of Seattle (both 50-54) in the Pole Vault (13-0).

Among the women throwers, best efforts of the day included Jennifer Hogan (50-54) of Tacoma in the Discus (65-0), Hogan again in the Javelin (63-02), and Hogan again in the Shot Put (25-10.50)and yes, Hogan went triple gold, and Susan Hinz (60-64) of Pullman in the Weight Throw (33-07).

Fran Melzer (70-74) had two outstanding throws of 60-05 (60-feet-5-inches) in the Discus and 32-11 in the women's Weight Throw; she won both events in her age-group. Melzer is an Olympia-area track supporter, participator and organizer of the first order. She is also a member of the Diehards Track & Field Club, which is primarily made up of jumpers and throwers but will also accept runners.

Debbie Dohrmann (55-59) of Olympia picked up 5 gold medals in the Discus, Javelin, Shot Put, Weight Throw and Superweight Throw. Dohrmann was the iron-woman of the day, having been runner-up in the 50 and 100. She is also a member of the Diehards Club.

Among the men throwers, best efforts included absolutely outstanding throws by Peter LaBarge (70-74) of Dallas (TX) in the Discus (134-01), and by Robert Ward (70-74) of Portland (OR) in the Shot Put (46-11)notice their age, Gary Stenlund (65-69) of Battle Ground in the Javelin (151-0), George Matthews (65-69) of Hayden Lake (ID) in the Weight Throw (60-11.75), and another absolutely outstanding throw by Harvey Lewellen (80-84) of Springfield (OR) in the Superweight Throw (32-01.25).

If you think seniors are an easy mark, I would not suggest trying to beat up aging Harvey Lewellen; he just might throw his attacker several feet though the air, and then slap them silly for even thinking about attacking him.

GrowthHackWorld Excel Building a broader community of growth hackers

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GrowthHackWorld Excel  Building a broader community of growth hackers

The startup phase of your new business is likely the most exciting and infuriating time you'll experience over the life of your new enterprise. Nothing beats the magic of creating something new from scratch, overcoming the naysayers and obstacles in your way. But equally, nothing is as frustrating as running headfirst into a wall which, some days feels like you're doing repeatedly when all you want to do is move ahead. The answer to all of it is growth hacking, this is a fairly new idea of business marketing.Growth hacking is smart way of growing your business in short span of time and with low investment.

There are many entreprenuers who are putting their foot in this business and one of the booming companies in this field is GrowthHackWorld excel. Vaibhav Gupta and Vipin verma, founders of this company are from India, they have done their graduation in computer science. They are young and experienced entrepreneurs with other Inc.com verified companies.
They started growth hacking business in May 2017 and since then they are taking startup world by storm. The founders of GHW are someone who have been through the startup stage several times. Firstly they started their facebook community page and then they moved on to GHW official site.

They have abundance of innovative ideas and tools which you can go through on their facebook community group, they are very active on their Facebook group and everyday you will find new ideas to implement in your business marketing. These growth hacking techniques are not only for startups but can also be implemented on established companies who want to launch their new product.

The founders of GHW have been through all the ups and downs as a startup company so they know what their clients need. The packages that they offer are as low as 199$ for lifetime and in this you get plenty of tools and resources. They not only provide you with tools and ideas but they also assist you with them, they have customizable package for their clients according to their needs and requirement.

Within a year GHW has gained customer base of 120 and above users. GHW is perfect place for new entrepreneurs to learn and boost their business, CEO's of many comapnies like FindThatLead and Poptin are commending efforts of GrowthHackWorld. There is great future waiting for these guys and their motto 'together we rise' goes perfectly with their purpose.

Green Civil Engineering Building Tomorrow's Future

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Green Civil Engineering Building Tomorrow's Future

Opportunities in the broad spectrum of engineering fields are always in great demand; however, recent developments in everything "green" has brought such demands to a new level not known before. The overview below covers just some of the new and upcoming engineering paths opened to those who prepare for the fast approaching future; however, for many people, the future is here and now.

Green Civil Engineering: An Unlimited Field

In essence, a civil engineer broadens his field exponentially when he or she enters the "green" sector. Typically dealing with design, development and actual construction of physical/natural environments like roads, bridges, canal routes, dam projects and buildings, now everything contingently revolves around projected green initiatives. Designing, building and modifying structures with a focus on cost-efficiency and sustainability, there is almost no spot on earth that will not be impacted.

New Global Green Initiatives

New emerging countries, regions and older established ones as well need desperate updating and upgrading of near-crumbling infrastructures. From building newer transit and water systems in North Africa to erecting larger, taller and more awe-inspiring skyscrapers in Dubai, green civil engineering opportunities abound everywhere.

Perhaps the Most Ambitious Green Enterprise

Working together with electrical engineers, computer science professionals and even IT professionals, green civil engineering projects such as replacing, upgrading and transforming the present electrical grid system in the US with a new "smart green grid" no doubt taxes many imaginationsand budgets as well.

A recent report by the American Society of Civil Engineers stated that just keeping up with present electricity demands requires total investments of nearly $732 billion by the year 2040.

Developing a new smart grid definitely calls for the best and the brightest of almost every engineering field now known: Civil, electrical, chemical and IT/computer engineers as well. Furthermore, demand for green civil engineers will be felt the most in these three following sectors:

Green Construction--covers construction of new green buildings and retrofitting residential, commercial and industrial buildings using green construction technology.
Renewable Energy--covers everything related to alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass.
Research, Design and Consulting--covers "indirect" or subordinate jobs that are generated in a green economy.

Preparing for the Future

Ambitious planned undertakings that focus on green technology require firm foundations in math, science and especially new concepts in everything green-related. Consequently, civil engineering professionals and civil engineering majors need the very finest education in obtaining not only a bachelor but a later a civil engineering masters degree with a focus on green-related matters.

Indisputably, green is the wave of today into the future and those who prepare for it will be prominent in opening the many doors that green technology opens. The question remains however: "Who will prepare now and how well will they prepare to go through those opening green doors?

Going Beyond Software and the Mind

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Going Beyond Software and the Mind

Imagine a future in which your personal computer becomes a doorway into a world of enhanced intelligence and creativity, emotional stability and previously unrealized personal success. In this world, the computer has become more than just a word processor or a web browser; it has become both an instantaneous communication tool for contacting seminar leaders or personal therapists and an interactive councilor that uses artificial intelligence to provide personal coaching and wise guidance. Or even further in the future, computer aided methods of transformation of human consciousness.

Could that colorful screen upon which you may be reading this become that door? This is a question that has intrigued those who have studies the potential of the PC, and the answer may be that this reality is closer than we realize. Before we look ahead and examine the possibilities, let's take a brief glimpse backward at the history if the mind/computer connection.

A Brief History of Software "Mind Tools"

The notion that computers could be tools for mental development and transformation goes back further than the personal computer. Joseph Weisenbaum, a professor at MIT in the 1960's developed a program on a mainframe that he called Eliza, which imitated a psychotherapist of the Rogerian school by rephrasing what the user said or sometimes posing a oddball question about his or her mother - from out of the blue.?Although meant to be a kind of joke, a comment on artificial intelligence, he was astounded to find people having real conversations with his newly created program, and some found that they liked talking to it better than their flesh- and-blood "shrink."

The earliest company to harness the earliest PCs, Macs, Commodores and Apples in the early `Eighties was Human Edge -- founded by Dr. James Johnson, a former psychology professor from the University of Minnesota and a salesman for IBM. Johnson's company developed a program called Mind Prober, still the most successful mind-related software ever sold with an amazing one-quarter million sold in the world of 1985, when there were only perhaps only four million PC's in the entire world. This would be the equivalent of selling five million programs in today.

Mind Prober was and is simply a computerized personality profile. It's the descendent of tests like those you probably took in school but never got to see the results - or the MMPI test that is used to classify people with mental disorders. What is so remarkable about Mind Prober and its descendents is that with the answering of a short questionnaire, they reveal so much about your own personality of the personality of someone you've known for only a short while. This is because they are based on one of the most solid parts of the mostly unsystematic study called psychology - psychometrics.

Psychometrics is the basis of personality testing, and can measure and describe personality by comparing answers to the test on paper or, in this case, in the computer program with groups of people with known personality attributes. The unique way that specific personality type answers certain questions gives the personality test program uncanny insight into what seem to be hidden dimensions of an individual.

These early psychological programs were text-based CGA graphic programs. But both programs proved fascinating to many people with psychological curiosity including a graduate student named Bruce Ehrlich, who was just about to complete a Ph.D. in psychology and who had collected a series of programs he called Mindware.

Ehrlich published his first collection of mind software in the Spring 1988 Mindware catalog. It probably is no accident that two of the most popular programs in that catalog were a modern version of Eliza for the PC (the first ones only ran on mainframes), and Mindviewer, an upgrade to Mind Prober. Another popular program was Calmpute! manufactured by Thought Technology of Toronto, Canada - a biofeedback program that measured galvanic skin response. A special mouse measured your GSR?and displayed the results on a computer screen. By discovering what kind of things you did to make the display graph change, you could learn to control your levels of stress and relaxation.

The Mindware catalog continued in its print version from 1988 until 1993 when it reached a circulation of a half million catalogs. Programs became increasingly sophisticated and diverse. Among the most noteworthy of the new offerings in the catalog were:

* Overcoming Depression -- A program by computer-assisted therapy expert Professor Thomas Colby, based on his research at Stanford and UCLA.

* IQ Builder --A program developed by Russian-born programmer Vladimer Asinovsky which measures 53 components of human intelligence and trains people in developing these abilities in incremental levels (Note: Mind Media now publishes this program!)

* Insight -- a psychometric testing program that was the first to take advantage of increases in computer graphics. The program used the Kahler Process Model first developed by Dr. Tabi Kahler for NASA to provide deep psychological insight. Unfortunately, the company that developed the program over a four-year period - Three-Sixty, Inc. of San Jose -- was forced to take the program off the market when Dr.Kahler's wife, who had won control of the test in divorce, blocked continued sales.

* Dream Analyzer - a test which allowed people to analyze the contents of their dreams developed by Dr. James Johnson (Note: Mind Media publishes this program and it is included in Mind Prober 3.0)

* PC Therapist - a program by Joseph Weintraub which did Eliza one better, winning the Loebner award by beating the famous Touring Test, in which a British cybernetics expert in the 'Fifties suggested a test for machine intelligence which consisted of the ability to fool people into believing they were talking to a real human over a teletype devise.

* Idea Generator Plus - a program developed by Roy Nierenberg, founder of Experience-In-Software (http://www.experienceware.com). The Program is based on Gerard Nierenberg's (the founder's father), book The Art of Creative Thinking and presents an interactive process based on exercises from the book, for developing new ideas on the user project of choice.

Mind Software Today In 1994, Ehrlich moved the Mindware catalog to the World Wide Web and began to focus on publishing some of his best sellers from the Mindware catalog as the Mental Edge software series and creating a web site which has evolved into the Mind Media Life- Enhancement Network (http://www.mindmedia.com). Ehrlich plans to develop this site into the central source for products and information about the mind software technology on the Web.

Ehrlich's Mindware catalog was the first direct mail catalog to offer CD-ROM players and CD-ROMs to the public by direct mail. Ehrlich understood that the greater amounts of multimedia information held by CD-ROMs would contribute to mind software that was both more effective and that would provide users a richer, friendlier experience.

On his Mind Media Life-Enhancement Network site, he launched an electronic version of his print catalog -- Mindware Interactive Online Catalog (http://www.mindmedia.com/products.html) --, which lists many of these new CD-ROMs. Mind Media's Complete Guide to Self-Improvement and Mental Development on the Web (http://www.mindmedia.com/linkspace/pages/). The latter a "Yahoo-like" directory and search engine for the entire scope of self-help, self-improvement and mental development sites on the Web, features some of the products we mention below at http://www.mindmedia.com/linkspace/pages/mindsoft.shtml.

About a year ago, David Marshall's Journeyware New Media published a CD-ROM, Your Mythic Journey. The software presented a seminar-on-a-disk by best-selling psychology author Sam Keen. The program used a multimedia authoring system called Macromind Director, which allows the disk to be used by both Windows and Macintosh systems.

It works by combining video visits with Sam Keen, (who beams down like a Startrek officer using the "transporter" into a series of beautiful graphic environments) with interactive exercises designed to explore the past, present and future of your personal mythic journey through life. What makes the program especially enjoyable is the graphical environments created by David Marshall's brother, a highly creative computer artist. .

With the introduction of this CD-ROM, mind software had taken a giant step forward, with the user finding that they can continue to gain value through exploring their lives. A series of other CD- ROM titles began to be released including one by John Gray, Ph.D. based on his best-selling book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, a relationship seminar-on-a-disk and many others. In addition to these new CD-ROM based interactive multimedia presentations, a number of new software programs with increased features have been released. One program, from BrainTainment (http://www.brain.com), called ThinkFast, measures and coaches users on increasing a variety of mental abilities including memory, cognitive abilities and reflexes. Using a high quality graphical interface running in the Windows environment, programs like these and those that follow may become "mind gyms", a term that Bruce Ehrlich of Mind Media began using around 1990 to describe the potential of this type of mind software (http://newciv.org/GIB/BOV/BV-488.HTML)

Another area that has taken great leaps forward since the early Mindware catalog days is the area of computers and biofeedback. Biofeedback first became popular in the `Sixties. Biofeedback was invented by Professor Joe Kamiya, who first discovered that the brain could actually control processes in the body and brain previously thought only to be under control of the autonomic nervous system, which was considered to be completely unavailable to consciousness. By feeding back signals from various body and brain processes, people could learn to control how they felt and thought!

The earliest devices were simple ones that measured GSR or EEG and gave a simple noise like a tone so that the user could learn to control these body and brain functions. Because they were rather boring to use and because they looked at only one modality of the particular process they monitored, these biofeedback systems quickly lost their popularity.

However biofeedback clinics continued to operate and help people with a variety of tasks including stress reduction and control of migraine headaches and even blood pressure control. With the invention and increasing sophistication of the PC however, these tools have made remarkable progress.

A number of biofeedback systems that interact with the personal computer have been developed. These include such sophisticated new products as the IBVA system, which includes a biofeedback system that will read EEG or brainwaves, rather than the more simple GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) systems which simply measured the skin's ability to conduct electricity and allows for comparisons between the brain's left and right hemisphere. The screen shows a three-dimensional graph while speakers let you hear the sound of your brain waves rise and fall. There are even a number of CD-ROM programs that allow you to use the IBVA system in new and more useful ways.

There are several other computer based biofeedback systems including the Neuolink developed by NLP expert Robert Dilts, the Stress Saver Systems biofeedback system with mind games, and the WaveRider Pro Biofeedback System with WaveWare 2.0 software. As you can see, we have come a long way since the first Mindware catalog offered Calmpute!.

The Near Future

Bruce Ehrlich of Mind Media has plans for his Mind Media Life Enhancement Network which give us an idea about where the field of mind software may be heading in the next few years.

Ehrlich plans to begin broadcasting seminars with popular self- improvement leaders and self-help writers using streaming audio and video technology. This technology is already being successfully used by companies like NetSeminar (http://www.netseminar.com) to successfully broadcast educational seminars on a variety of topics. You can actually interact with the seminar leaders online, making it more than the passive experience presented by audio or video tapes or reading a self-help book.

Ehrlich is also developing a new kind of CD-ROM seminar that uses "hybrid" CD-ROM technology. This would allow for continuous updates of content on CD-ROMS from the Mind Media web site -- allowing the user for example to get additional sessions and information from seminar leaders whose CD-ROM they had purchased.

The use of on-line programs written in Java will make available on-line pay-per-use versions of popular mind software. This pay- per-use model is already being done on the BrainTainment Center Web site at http://www.brain.com. The whole genre of mind software for creativity, problem solving, psychotherapy etc. will. be available on-line anytime.

The Far Realms of Computers and the Mind

In 1990, Simon and Shuster published Would the Buddha Wear a Walkman? by Judith Hooper and Dick Terisi, both editors at Omni magazine at the time and co-authors of the best selling book, The Three-Pound Universe.

In the chapter, "Using Your Computer to Expand Your Mind", they say:
The computer is more than a number crunching word processing,
artificial brain. In the right hands it's also a mind-expanding,
creativity-boosting, even mind-altering tool. We have already
accepted the microcomputer as a machine that can assume some of
our tedious menial chores. But it has a potential as a mind-
enhancing device as well. And the key is the software.

We have divided the field into five categories: smartware (which
makes you smarter, more organized, a better writer, a better
negotiator), psychological software (such as Eliza), stressware
(aimed at reducing anxiety), games/head trips (trips into alternative
realities) and spiritual software (intended to make you deeper).
Thus far we have looked at some of the kinds of software programs the authors predicted. But as the technology of the compute leaps forward and our understanding of the mind become increasingly better, some of these other more far-out mind/computer software programs will become possible.

Ehrlich, in the above-mentioned book, is written about as "The Mindware Man: Bruce Ehrlich and Digital Psychology." In this section, they write:
Ehrlich predicts that such software [mind software] will eventually
transform computer-human interactions. "The computer," he says,"
will become a friend." He foresees a dramatic growth in future
years in what he calls "electronic Buddhas." This is a program
designed to enhance the users spirituality. Another growth area is
"psychoactive software

How can a computer become a wise Buddha or guide? Or become psychoactive. Here are some of my wild-eyed guesses.

One of the most important theoretical areas in computer science concerns artificial intelligence. One area of AI is expert systems.

For example, a computer is trained to emulate a medical doctor in diagnosing a disease. These programs already exist, and have shown to be superior to human doctors in many cases in pinpointing illnesses.

Imagine then the computer developing an expert system model of a Zen master or psychotherapist. Expert systems that go far beyond Eliza's simple trickery to programs that teach real wisdom.

Now combine this with biofeedback, the technology we have talked about below. The most recent biofeedback breakthroughs have involved the recording and training of actual altered states of consciousness experiences. There actually has been recording flesh-and-blood Zen Masters as they enter Samadhi, the highest state of being in the Zen school.

Already, computers are giving us multimedia biofeedback rather than the primitive tones of three decades ago. Certainly at the current rate of technological progress, virtual reality will becomes available as an interface on the home PC. Already there is a graphical VRML (virtual reality markup language). Soon, goggles and gloves will supplement screen and mouse.

Consider the power of a virtual reality computerized biofeedback system. A system augmented by an artificially intelligent computer coach. Or perhaps a real human guiding a group of people over the Web.?Still another possibility, a group of humans supporting each other in their exploration consciousness linked up through a computer network. Shades of virtual group therapy!

As we look to the future of software for enlarging the capacity of the human mind and consciousness, we see

* The power of computers doubling every two years, * The creation of a global community"-linking everyone's ?homes by PC through interactive video and the World Wide Web

* New technologies such as biofeedback and virtually-reality ?ready for primetime.

* The rapid and dramatic breakthroughs in our understanding of ?the brain, consciousness and behavior.

Computers and software as an expander of human intellect, creativity and consciousness has a glorious future that we only begin to imagine.

Global Talent Acquisition in the Modern Age

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Global Talent Acquisition in the Modern Age

Success in the business world is dependent upon talented individuals. Even for low-tech businesses, the most prosperous organizations employ people with certified and particular expertise in their area. This notion is especially true for technology companies. When your business is reliant on engineering abilities and out-of-the-box believing, your employees are the life-blood of your organizational achievement. Given the character of the technology industry, competitive forces are always breathing down your throat and forcing one to maneuver them out to remain relevant.

As computer technologies advanced to prominence the art of global talent acquisition was made to change with the time. Recruiting moved away from more basic, slower paced criteria towards highly integrated and highly coordinated processes focused on catching the top echelons of technical ability.

Before the coming of the online era, recruitment computer science majors and engineers turned into a very different procedure. Educational pedigrees, old boy networks and piles of resumes shaped the columns of technical recruitment. Not unlike now, communication between companies and candidates consisted of telephone calls and onsite meetings.

The most tedious facets of relying on years of experience or open places were made to travel via manual systems. Automation was a very long way off. Businesses emphasized finding candidates from particular technical schools such as Stanford and MIT. Candidates anticipated long tenures and departure on a work offer was a far more critical matter.

In certain ways, the previous techniques of recruitment led to inefficiencies through the technical hiring procedure. Newspaper documents and Rolodexes have driven candidate management. Any procedure contingent on newspaper files is obligated from the time lag in sending those files. In a peculiar sense, walk-ins needed a leg up. The process has been slow and usually retained less pertinent info which can decode the very best candidate for your open position.

With the globalization of technical abilities and the growth of specialized educational opportunities, the contemporary candidate area is no more adapting to the MITs and Stanfords of the world. Today's computer technology candidates are resources from some schools and states. Capturing information at necessary measures in the global talent acquisition procedure is very important to find the very best choice for an open function. Distributing open places has radically improved with big job board websites. While referrals and experience still depend, the playing area for technical recruitment has opened up into the realities of the contemporary age.

New tools offer significant organizational benefits for specialized recruiters. With the coming of the online era, recruiting technology suppliers have started to leverage on-line applications platforms to standardize and centralize the core elements of the recruitment procedure.

Contemporary applicant tracking software intends to boost cooperation, enhance candidate monitoring throughout the recruitment funnel and decrease overall costs per each employ. The new tools offer the ideal mix of agility and speed to support talent acquisition demands in the tech industry.

In an era of globalized candidates, often competing for job offers and a much more technical experience foundations, recruiters have embraced a lot of the offspring technology on the online revolution to modernize the area of professional recruitment. This modernization has supplied more effective talent acquisition approaches to help service the demands of the technical recruiter.

Gender Differences in Learning Style Specific to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

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Gender Differences in Learning Style Specific to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

There are gender differences in learning styles specific to science, math, engineering and technology (SMET) that teachers of these subjects should keep in mind when developing lesson plans and teaching in the classroom. First, overall, girls have much less experience in the hands-on application of learning principles in lab settings than boys. This could occur in the computer lab, the science lab, or the auto lab the principle is the same for all of these settings it requires an overall technology problem-solving schema, accompanied by use and manipulation of tools, and spatial relation skills that very few girls bring with them to the classroom on day one in comparison to boys.

Lets look at some of the reasons why girls come to the SMET classroom with less of the core skills needed for success in this subject area. Overall, girls and boys play with different kinds of games in early childhood that provide different types of learning experiences. Most girls play games that emphasize relationships (i.e., playing house, playing with dolls) or creativity (i.e., drawing, painting). In contrast, boys play computer and video games or games that emphasize building (i.e., LEGO), both of which develop problem-solving, spatial-relationship and hands-on skills.

A study of gender differences in spatial relations skills of engineering students in the U.S. and Brazil found that there was a large disparity between the skills of female and male students. These studies attributed female students lesser skills set to two statistically significant factors: 1) less experience playing with building toys and 2) having taken less drafting courses prior to the engineering program. Spatial relations skills are critical to engineering. A gender study of computer science majors at Carnegie-Mellon University (one of the preeminent computer science programs in the country) found that, overall, male students come equipped with much better computer skills than female students. This equips male students with a considerable advantage in the classroom and could impact the confidence of female students.

Are these gender differences nature or nurture? There is considerable evidence that they are nurture. Studies show that most leading computer and video games appeal to male interests and have predominantly male characters and themes, thus it is not surprising that girls are much less interested in playing them. A study of computer games by Children Now found that 17% of the games have female characters and of these, 50% are either props, they tend to faint, have high-pitched voices, and are highly sexualized.

There are a number of studies that suggest that when girls and women are provided with the building blocks they need to succeed in SMET they will do as well if not better than their male counterparts. An Introductory Engineering Robotics class found that while males did somewhat better on the pre-test than females, females did as well as the males on the post-test following the classs completion.

Another critical area of gender difference that teachers of SMET should keep in mind has less to do with actual skills and experience and more to do with perceptions and confidence. For females, confidence is a predictor of success in the SMET classroom. They are much less likely to retain interest if they feel they are incapable of mastering the material. Unfortunately, two factors work against female confidence level: 1) most girls will actually have less experience with SMET course content than their male counterparts and 2) males tend to overplay their accomplishments while females minimize their own. A study done of Carnegie Mellon Computer Science PhD students found that even when male and female students were doing equally well grade wise, female students reported feeling less comfortable. Fifty-three percent of males rated themselves as highly prepared in contrast to 0% of females.

It is important to note that many of the learning style differences described above are not strictly gender-based. They are instead based on differences of students with a background in SMET, problem-solving, and hands-on skills learned from childhood play and life experience and those who havent had the same type of exposure. A review of the literature on minority students and SMET finds that students of color are less likely to have the SMET background experiences and thus are missing many of the same SMET building blocks as girls and have the same lack of confidence. Many of the SMET curriculum and pedagogy solutions that work for female students will also work for students of color for this reason.

Bridge Classes/Modules to Ensure Core Skills

Teachers will likely see a gap in the core SMET skills of female and minority students for the reasons described above. Below are some solutions applied elsewhere to ensure that girls and women (and students of color) will get the building block SMET skills that many will be missing.

Teachers in the Cisco Academy Gender Initiative study assessed the skill levels of each of their students and then provided them with individualized lesson plans to ensure their success that ran parallel to the class assignments. Other teachers taught key skills not included in the curriculum at the beginning of the course, such as calculating math integers and tool identification and use. Students were provided with additional lab time, staffed by a female teaching assistant, knowing that the female students would disproportionately benefit from additional hands-on experience.

Carnegie-Mellon University came to view their curriculum as a continuum, with students entering at different points based on their background and experience. Carnegie-Mellons new frame of a continuum is purposefully different than the traditional negative model in which classes start with a high bar that necessitates remedial tutoring for students with less experience, stigmatizing them and undermining their confidence. Below is a list of ideas and suggestions that will help ALL students to succeed in the SMET classroom.

1. Building Confidence

How do teachers build confidence in female students who often have less experience than their male counterparts and perceive they are behind even when they are not?

1) Practice-based experience and research has shown that ensuring female students have the opportunity to gain experience with SMET, in a supportive environment, will increase their confidence level.

2) Bringing in female role models that have been successful in the SMET field is another important parallel strategy that should be used to assist your female students in seeing themselves as capable of mastering SMET classes: if she could do it, then I can too!

3) Consistent positive reinforcement by SMET teachers of their female students, with a positive expectation of outcome, will assist them in hanging in there during those difficult beginning weeks when they have not yet developed a technology schema or hands-on proficiency and everything they undertake seems like a huge challenge.

2. Appealing to Female Interests

Many of the typical SMET activities for the classroom appeal to male interests and turn off girls. For example, curriculum in robots often involves monsters that explode or cars that go fast. Roboeducators observed that robots involved in performance art or are characterized as animals are more appealing to girls. Engineering activities can be about how a hair dryer works or designing a playground for those with disabilities as well as about building bridges. Teachers should consider using all types of examples when they are teaching and incorporating activities in efforts to appeal female and male interests. Teachers can also direct students to come up with their own projects as a way of ensuring girls can work in an area of significance to them.

Research also shows that there are Mars/Venus differences between the genders and how each engages in technology. Overall, girls and women are excited by how the technology will be used its application and context. Men will discuss how big the hard drive or engine is, how fast the processor runs, and debate the merits of one motherboard or engine versus another. These are topics that are, overall, of less interest to most females.

The Carnegie-Mellon Study took into account the differences of what engages female students and modified the Computer Science programs curriculum so that the context for the program was taught much earlier on in the semester and moved some of the more technical aspects of the curriculum (such as coding) to later in the semester. Authors observed that the female students were much more positive about getting through the tedious coding classes when they understood the purpose of it. Teachers should ensure that the context for the technology they are teaching is addressed early on in the semester by using real world stories and case studies to capture the interest of all of their students.

3. Group Dynamics in the Classroom

Research studies by American Association of University Women and Children Now have found that most females prefer collaboration and not competition in the classroom. Conversely, most males greatly enjoy competition as a method of learning and play. Many hands-on activities in technology classes are set up as competitions. Robotics for example, regularly uses competitiveness as a methodology of teaching. Teachers should
be cognizant of the preference of many girls for collaborative work and should add-in these types of exercises to their classes. Some ways to do this are by having students work in assigned pairs or teams and having a team grade as well as an individual grade. (See Reading 2 on Cooperative Learning.)

Another Mars/Venus dynamic that SMET teachers should be aware of occurs in the lab there male students will usually dominate the equipment and females will take notes or simply watch. Overall, male students have more experience and thus confidence with hands-on lab equipment than their female counterparts. Teachers should create situations to ensure that their female students are spending an equal amount of time in hands-on activities. Some approaches have been: 1) to pair the female students only with each other during labs in the beginning of the class semester so that they get the hands-on time and their confidence increases, putting them in a better position to work effectively with the male students later on, 2) allot a specific time for each student in pair to use the lab equipment and announce when its time to switch and monitor this, and 3) provide feedback to male students who are taking over by letting them know that their partner needs to do the activity as well.

4. Moving Female Students from Passive Learners to Proactive Problem Solvers

The main skill in SMET is problem solving in hands-on lab situations. For reasons already discussed regarding a lack of experience, most girls dont come to SMET classes with these problem-solving skills. Instead, girls often want to be shown how to do things, repeatedly, rather than experimenting in a lab setting to get to the answer. Adding to this issue, many girls fear that they will break the equipment. In contrast, male students will often jump in and manipulate the equipment before being given any instructions by their teacher. Teachers can address this by such activities as: 1) having them take apart old equipment and put it together again, 2) creating scavenger hunt exercises that force them to navigate through menus, and 3) emphasizing that they are learning the problem solving process and that this is equally important to learning the content of the lesson and insisting that they figure out hands-on exercises on their own.

Research has also shown that females tend to engage in SMET activities in a rote, smaller picture way while males use higher order thinking skills to understand the bigger picture and the relationship between the parts. Again, moving female students (and the non-techsavvy student in general) to become problem solvers (versus just understanding the content piece of the SMET puzzle) will move them to use higher order thinking skills in SMET.

Finally, many teachers have reported that many female students will often want to understand how everything relates to each other before they move into action in the lab or move through a lesson plan to complete a specific activity. The female students try to avoid making mistakes along the way and will not only want to read the documentation needed for the lesson, they will often want to read the entire manual before taking any action. In contrast, the male student often needs to be convinced to look at the documentation at all. Boys are not as concerned with making a mistake a long the way as long as what they do ultimately works. The disadvantage for female students is that they often are so worried about understanding the whole picture that they dont move onto the hands-on activity or they dont do it in a timely fashion, so that they are consistently the last ones in the class to finish. Teachers can assist female (and non-tech-savvy) students to move through class material more quickly by providing instruction on how to quickly
scan for only the necessary information needed to complete an assignment.

5. Role Models

Since the numbers of women in SMET are still small, girls have very few opportunities to see female role models solving science, technology, engineering or math problems. Teachers should bring female role models into the classroom as guest speakers or teachers, or visit them on industry tours, to send the message to girls that they can succeed in the SMET classroom and careers.

Bibliography

Medina, Afonso, Celso, Helena B.P. Gerson, and Sheryl A. Sorby. Identifying Gender Differences in the 3-D Visualization Skills of Engineering Students in Brazil and in the United States. International Network for Engineering Eucation and Research page. 2 August 2004: http://www.ineer.org/Events/ICEE/papers/193.pdf.

Milto, Elissa, Chris Rogers, and Merredith Portsmore. Gender Differences in Confidence Levels, Group Interactions, and Feelings about Competition in an Introductory Robotics Course. American Society for Engineering Education page. 8 July 2004: http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/fie2002/papers/1597.pdf.

Fair Play: Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games 2001. Children Now page. 19 August 2004: http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/.

Girls and Gaming: Gender and Video Game Marketing, 2000. Children Now page. 17 June 2004: http://www.childrennow.org/media/medianow/mnwinter2001.html.

Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age. District of Columbia: American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, 2000.

Margolis, Jane and Allan Fisher. Unlocking the Computer Clubhouse: Women in Computer. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2003.

Taglia, Dan and Kenneth Berry. Girls in Robotics. Online Posting. 16 September 2004: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roboeducators/.

Cisco Gender Initiative. Cisco Learning Institute. 30 July 2004: http://gender.ciscolearning.org/Strategies/Strategies_by_Type/Index.html.

Freelance Programming - Considerations For Getting Started

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Freelance Programming - Considerations For Getting Started

Usually, when a student or prospective computer programmer envisions working in the field, they think of working for a company, the government, or some other formal entity as a direct employee, enjoying the perceived security and benefits of working for an established entity. For some, working outside of the office as a freelance computer programmer is a terrifying prospect. For others, confident in their skills and attracted to the prospect of flexibility and higher compensation, it's the ticket to a whole new ballgame. Freelance programming is an avenue that offers significantly higher pay coupled with very flexible hours. These individuals, working as freelance programmers, accept short-term (or less than permanent positions, in any event) from a variety of companies that employ them to complete specific projects. For them, the higher pay and flexibility is too attractive to resist. And when you factor in the opportunities to both apply your skills in a number of environments and gain very valuable experience, and the chance to earn outstanding compensation; it's easy to see why many make this their preferred career path.

So why do companies hire freelance programmers? One reason companies hire freelance programmers is that even though freelancers usually charge more money on an hourly basis than employees, the company still saves money. Freelancers only receive payment for time spent working on a software development project and their services can be discontinued at any time. Many freelancers provide their own hardware and software. Also, they do not receive employee benefits which are usually quite expensive. Another reason companies use freelance programmers is that freelance programmers are expected to be able to complete projects faster and more efficiently than employees. Above all these, contract programmers get hired to perform programming work that companies do not have the in-house talent to accomplish. Some companies do not have any in-house programmers or they may need special technical skills for an application development project.

So, what are the steps to becoming a freelance programmer? The first step and probably the most crucial step to freelance success is to develop your technical skills. You will need to create a solid portfolio of skills and knowledge along with experience. Unlike a direct employee, companies do not pay freelance programmers to learn on the job. You will be expected to deliver results from the moment you begin to bill the company. Because of this you need to dig deep and understand your programming languages in depth. It is good to be versed in a wide range of technologies as well as understand the tips and tricks that will make your work go faster. One way to build skills is to visit a coaching site like www.becomeacomputerprogrammer.com

Build a customer base "The hardest thing is to get started." Says Lisa, a web developer in Huntington Beach, CA. "It's really slow to start, and you need to stick with it for a while before you can actually feed yourself." That's the reality of being a freelancer most often, you're the one responsible for lining up work for yourself. For some, chasing opportunity and building their business is exciting all by itself. For others, it's drudgery. A good strategy to follow is to build that customer base before you leave your regular job, so that once you're on your own you have an existing base of customers and work to support yourself as you expand that base of business.

In the end, is it better to work as a freelance programmer? The answer is that it really depends on you. If you seek security (real or imagined), and don't like the idea of keeping your own books, paying for your own benefits, or working in an office, then a career as a freelance programmer probably isn't for you. But if you like flexibility, the potential for high compensation, and the opportunity to do your own thing and build your own business, then you should seriously consider working as a freelance programmer.

Find Your Focus

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Find Your Focus

This is what a problem with FOCUS looks like and feels like.
This focus problem is paradoxical for entrepreneurs, because you have a STRONG desire to control your own schedule and work independently, yet you're struggling DAILY to get your to-do list done!

If you spend a lot of time feeling unfocused, you're going to feel dissatisfied, big time - after all, you're not moving yourself toward your goal - instead you're doing lots of other things. You'll also feel frustrated with yourself and ask "How come I don't have any self-discipline?".

There are 3 critical ingredients in your work: your dreams, your goals and your actions. When these 3 are aligned, you are full steam ahead! You throw yourself into your work and you receive tremendous satisfaction, because you're doing what you love and you're helping people. You're having an impact.

How Lack of Focus Undermines Your Dreams, Goals and Actions

You don't know what your dreams are. You have stopped paying attention to what your innermost self truly loves and values. You don't remember what sets you on fire. You can't even remember the last time you felt like you were on fire! You have no idea what your Big WHY is.

Your goals are what you feel you "should" do. You may have lots of practical goals but you don't feel excitement or passion or a thrill when you look at your goals. Ideally, your goals are stepping stones to making your dreams come true.

Your actions, which show up in physical form on your to-do list, are something you want to evade. When you look at your to-do list, you may feel overwhelmed. You often find those items boring or terrifying. You mostly want to get away from your to-do list. Even though you started your business so that you could be in charge of your to-do list, now it's in charge of you.

When Your Dreams, Goals and Actions Are Aligned, You Get FOCUS

Your goals are the steps that build to your dreams. Your goals are not disconnected elements that come from what you think you "should" be doing. Instead, there's an intimate connection between your goals and your dreams. Your goals represent the practical, tangible steps that move you toward your dreams. Your goals allow you to measure your progress toward your dreams.

Your actions, which show up on your to-do list, are your top priorities.

CALL TO ACTION

How do you get focused and stay focused?

Make sure you know your dreams. Give yourself permission to have dreams. YOUR dreams, not anyone else's dreams.

Make sure your goals are 1) your own and 2) build into your dreams. You probably know all about SMART goals; those come AFTER you're in touch with your dreams.

Make sure actions on your to-do list connect to your goals and therefore to your dreams. Write out this connection periodically. Pick to a task from your to-do list and write down which goal it supports and how that connects to one or more of your dreams. This will give you MORE energy to complete each task.

Factors Affecting Students' Performance in Science in Nigeria Schools

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Factors Affecting Students' Performance in Science in Nigeria Schools

Abstract This is a review paper that identified factors causing students poor performance in science as teachers method of teaching, students interest, class size, poor laboratory facilities among other factors. Recommendations were made at the end of the paper; one of such recommendations was that teachers should be more dedicated to their duties

Introduction Science is different from other disciplines by its processes which are; observation, classification, measurement, prediction, problem identification, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, drawing conclusion, experimentation etc. In Nigeria research has shown that students performance in science has not been encouraging due to some factors. The table below shows percentage of students performance in May/ June Examination from 2006 to 2011 in Nigeria. Year Percentage of pass 2006 22 2007 20 2008 26 2009 26 2010 23 2011 30 Source: The sun news 2011

Factor influencing students performance Adegboye (2003) believed the main factor that is responsible for poor performance in mathematics is the fear of mathematics. Okooboh, Afolabi and Asilika (2004) stressed that the unimpressive response to science and technical education is particularly evident in students poor performance in science subjects at secondary school level. In the words of Ajileye (2006) insufficient resources for the teaching and learning of science constitute a major cause of student underachievement. The insufficient resources include laboratories, science equipment, and specimens to be used as teaching aids. Onuoha (1997) identified shortage of qualified and dedicated teachers as the factor affecting student performance in science and that poor practical orientation will lead to poor understanding of the theory. In his opinion teachers are no more dedicated to their assignments. They give more time to trading, petty contracts, farming etc. They sneak in and out of the classrooms and laboratories at will. Ukwuma (1990) in his investigation of factor impair science education confirmed that over 80% of failure in science and technology are due to the inability of students to perform well in practical. Akinola (2006) believed that causes of mass failure of students in senior secondary Chemistry Examination include teachers methodology, structuring of the curriculum, the concentration of examination questions on few topics and the inability of students to perform enough practical before their examination. Ladanu (1991) observed that most of the textbooks used in secondary schools are written by foreign authors. Languages used in some of the texts are complex and ambiguous. Hence, it becomes difficult for students to comprehend. In the opinion of Akanbi (2003) poor performance in Physics may be due to a number of fundamental reasons, which could be due to shortage of science teachers in quality and quantity, inadequate laboratory equipment and facilities, poor motivated teaching strategies, shortage of suitable Physics textbooks and other factors. Bamidele (2004) observed lack of interest in physics by students due to preconceived idea that physics is a difficult subject has affected the enrolment and performance of students in physics. Ogunbiyi (1986) investigated that many secondary school students are unfamiliar with more than half of laboratory apparatus and are unable to know in what experiment they are used. Garba (2004) conducted a research on the relationship between classroom control and students performance; his findings revealed that teachers who are sufficiently equipped with strategies that assist in classroom control adequately will automatically enable the students have full concentration and lead to positive academic performance of the students. In the opinion of Ojo (2001) lack of qualified teachers, lack of facilities and poor teaching method are factors to be considered when it comes to student performance in science. He said the success of any science education programme depends to a large extent on the teacher. Olonade (2000) and Fatola (2005) in their different studies both agreed that school location and school size influences students performance in sciences. In a study carried out by Owolabi (2004) on a diagnosis of students difficulties in Physics, he revealed that poor performance of students in Physics could have emanated from students lack of full understanding of Physics concepts Aiyelabegan (2003) identified attitude, approach of students and teacher to Physics, inadequacy of practical equipment, unconducive environment and lack of qualified hands to handle practical works as factors affecting student performance in Physics. Apata (2007) confirmed that students taught by qualified and experienced teachers performed better than students taught by unqualified and inexperienced teachers. Conclusion and recommendations Poor students performance in science is due to poor teaching method, poor textbooks, students interest, class size, poor laboratory facilities, teacher attitude to work and poor condition of service. In view of the above conclusion it is suggested that teachers should be more dedicated to their duties, provision of laboratory equipment and reduction of students number per class.

REFRENCES

Adegboye, A.O &Adegboye,O.A(2003).An investigation into Secondary School students performance in SSCE Mathematics. Lafiagi Journal of science Education 5 (1& 2), 25-31.

Aiyelabegan,A.T (2003). Effect of physics practical on Students Academic performance in Senior School Certificate Physics Examination in kwara state. Lafiagi Journal of Science Education 5 (1& 2), 84-89.

Akinola, B.M.A (2006). Causes of Mass Failure in senior secondary school Chemistry in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State. Oro Science Educational journal. 4(5&6),19.

Ajileye , O.O (2006).Towards Effective Science Education: Issues in Universal Basic Education Programme. Journal of Sports Management and Educational Research. 1 (2), 337.

Akanbi A.O (2003). Trend in Physics Education in Secondary School in Kwara State. Lafiagi Journal of science education. 5(1& 2), 69- 75.

Apata, S.F (2007). Influence of Teachers Academic Qualification and Experience on Students Performance in Senior Secondary School Physics In Kwara State. (Unpublished master thesis). University of Ilorin,Ilorin

Bamidele, L (2004). Students Poor Performance in Physics. A Bane to our Nations Technological Development. Nigerian Journal of Science Education and Practice. 2(1), 174

Garba,R.B(2004). TeachersClassroom Control and Students Academic Achievement (Unpublished masters thesis). University of Ilorin,Ilorin. Ladanu, G.A (1991). Students Performance in Biology- Factors and remedies. Journal of Education Students Association, University of Ilorin. 7, 8.

Ogunniyi, M.B (1986). Teaching science in Africa. Ibadan: University press.

Ojo M. O (2001). Problems of teaching Science and Mathematics in Nigeria.A paper presented at the Train- the Trainers workshop for Science and Mathematics teachers in Colleges of Education in Six Geo political zone of Nigeria.

Okooboh, M.A, Afolabi, M.A, & Asilika, D.A (2004). Science and technical Education in a Democratic Government for Sustainable National Development The Conference: Journal of Contemporary Educational Thoughts. 1 (1), 44, 45.

Olonade, G.B(2000). Influence of School Location, School Size, Sex DifferenceAnd Teachers Variables on Mathematics Achievement of Secondary Student In Kwara State. (Unpublished masters thesis). University of Ilorin, Ilorin.

Excusive C Programming Assignment Help For Students

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Excusive C Programming Assignment Help For Students

Computer science has become of the most important subject for the students. It is the only subject that has successfully overruled almost every dynamic and emerging field. Further, it is gaining popularity world widely because of its versatile usage. As a result, it is very important for the students to have a command over various computers programming language especially C programming language which is a demand of the industry. Usually when it comes to computer assignment students need to solve various C programming assignments, which is not an easy task as it looks. In such a situation, the most suitable option available for the students is to acquire C programming assignments help from the most reliable sources.

Most of the students face difficulty in completion of their C programming assignments and look for C programming assignments help. The main reason behind the students not been able to handle their tough and tricky home assignment on their own is that the classes given by their school or college teachers for the assignments are not sufficient and therefore, they look for someone who can help them with their assignments and provide them with the best possible assignment solutions. Apart from the completion of the homework assignments, these online assignment help services are also allow students to have a command over the topic of the assignment and hold a better understanding.

It is every important for the students to have a deep knowledge about the secrets and tricks of dealing with the C programming home assignment given by their teachers in order to test their skill and grabbing power. This at times becomes tough for the students to have a wide knowledge of the in depth details related to the C programming computer subject. Further, solving C programming home assignment is time consuming and demand for lot of mental efforts to come up with the all sorts of logical solution that will not only going to help in impressing the teachers but also help in obtaining good scores in assignments. Keeping this fact in mind, students generally search out for some affordable and trust worthy C programming help with assignments that can cater to their specific demands and present their assignment accordingly.

These C programming assignments help providing companies have a diligent team of experts and professionals of programming industry, who hold specialization in handing any kind of C programming assignments and give the most suitable solutions. Students can get quick and very affordable online assignment help from these assignment experts as per their assignment requirements and budget. They can get such assignment help services every easily online with the help of a computer system and internet connection. Earlier getting such unique and exciting assignment help services is not at all possible. Students have to depend upon their parents, friends or tutors who can help them with their assignment work but thanks to the technology, which make its possible now.

Employment opportunity by SSC recruitment

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Employment opportunity by SSC recruitment

SSC online exam is one of the biggest opportunities for the educated youth of India. SSC recruitmenrt exam, written test are arranged on very large scale, in all towns and cities of the nation. Every year thousands of unemployed educated youth of India eagerly wait for the SSC result, all over the nation. This exam gives the opportunity to the educated youth of India, to work in the position of teachers as well as non teaching staffs in the various government affiliated schools, all over India, in various posts. Thus, this national based recruitment exam is a golden opportunity for the educated youth of India to get a job in the public sector.

The recruitment exam is conducted for the position of teachers in the subjects of all the 3 streams of science, arts and commerce. The subjects are English, history, geography, biology, physics, chemistry, regional languages, Hindi, computer science etc. Some extracurricular subjects are also there like music, drill, sports etc. Thus, there are varied opportunities for the qualified candidates of the exam. The candidates, who qualify the written exam, are called for the final interview round. Final selection is done on the basis of the candidates performance in the interview round.

The exam is quite tough and very much competitive, since millions of candidates all over India, sit for the exam every year. Thus, the candidates must undergo prolonged preparations to qualify for the exams. They can also seek the help of the institutes, who train up the students for public sector competitive exam. They should be very much thorough about their core subjects and prepare for their SSC written exam.

The candidates should be very much aware of the important dates such as application dates, written exam dates etc. They can get every details of the exam including eligibility criteria from job websites on the internet. They can also get the exam details on national based employment news papers. The candidates can create an email alert to get exam updates in their email inboxes.

Online application forms are available on the official websites of the exam council. These forms can be downloaded and printed. They should be properly filled up by the candidate, with pass port size photo of the candidate. The form should be mailed on the official address of the exam council. Admit cards are mailed on the residential addresses of the candidates before the written exam.

Employer-Preferred College Degrees

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Employer-Preferred College Degrees

Have you ever wondered about the kind of degrees that are most in demand and most sought after by employers? Of course you have! In this article, well talk about the five college degrees that are most sought after by employers.

Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

A masters degree in business administration offers advancement opportunities and the flexibility to choose from a variety of job options in a career. An MBA helps you develop the skill to manage people more effectively, sharpens your critical and analytical abilities, and prepares you for leadership positions within an industry. Equipped with an MBA, you can pursue employment within the following industries:

Healthcare
Finance and accounting
Energy and utilities
Products and services
Consulting
Manufacturing
Technology

Bachelors degree in engineering

Engineering is a broad field and gives you a chance to choose from among a variety of engineering professions. Engineering involves the practical application of science, mathematics, and logic so if you think your talents and skills fit the bill, consider an education in engineering. According to Pay Scale, some of the most high-paying fields in engineering are:

Petroleum engineering
Chemical engineering
Aerospace engineering
Computer engineering
Biomedical engineering

Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN)

There is an ever-growing demand for registered nurses (RN) in our country. These numbers are likely to grow, since the number of patients will increase as the baby boomer generation ages. Whether youre looking to kick-start your education or take your nursing career to the next level, a BSN makes a great choice. A BSN teaches RNs the business aspects of the healthcare industry in which they need to be skilled, in order to take on management positions. Not only does it give RNs the chance to enhance their skills in general medicine, but also a chance to specialize in an area that interests them the most. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs can find employment in:

General medical and surgical hospitals
Physicians offices
Home health care services
Nursing homes

Bachelors of Information Technology (IT) or Computer Science

It would be difficult to imagine a world without computers and technology in this day and age, when almost everything depends on it. The need for IT and computer science professionals is apparent as the technology continues to evolve. With a bachelors degree in information technology or a related field, you can work in industries such as:

Computer systems design and related services
Manufacturing
Finance and insurance
IT management of companies and enterprises

Bachelors degree in accounting

No matter what the economy looks like, there is always going to be a need for an accountant. This is because accountants are needed by companies from the time they begin to operate to the point they decide to shut down. A bachelors degree in accounting makes you eligible to pursuejobs such as:

Tax analyst
Auditor
Tax accountant
Revenue agent

The college dilemma

At one point students had no option other than to attend a full-time, brick and mortar college. However, the education industry has started to embrace technology. As a result, accredited colleges offering online degree programs have gained popularity. If, after careful introspection, you decide to pursue an education online, check up on the colleges accreditation first. Lets take for example Independence University. Information about Independence University accreditation and student services can be found online easily, which promotes transparency and honesty. Wherever you decide to go to college depends entirely upon your needs. Just make sure you do everything in your power to make sure the degree you hold will count.

Emotions Drive Behavior - Emotional Intelligence Training

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Emotions Drive Behavior - Emotional Intelligence Training

Recently, we were designing a training program at the Institute for Health and Human Potential, and we began our meeting as we always do - by asking ourselves the question:
What do we want people to be able to do differently after the program?

Its interesting that no matter what kind of program we design, and no matter the methods we use (training, assessment, coaching, e-learning, etc), the answer almost always goes like this: We want people to better understand and manage the emotions that drive their own behavior and the behavior of others.

This really is the basic foundation of Emotional Intelligence - the notion of emotions driving behavior. Most leaders and individuals that we work with dont understand this (I used to be one of them) and they focus on observing and managing behaviors. For example, we worked with a leader - lets call her Jane - who was not doing well at holding her people accountable to deadlines. Her boss had spent considerable time explaining to her why its important to do this (which it is) and how to do it (i.e. the behavior).

But Jane was still struggling with it. She was fortunate enough to have attended an Emotional Intelligence program that included a 360 degree assessment, training and follow up coaching. During the training, Jane learned that we all have certain triggers things that cause us to have an emotional reaction and trigger our innate fight of flight response. This limits our capacity to think clearly and causes us to move to default behaviors that may no be skillful or effective. Here are some default behaviors you might see (and experience yourself!)
Someone get defensive when they feel criticized
Avoiding difficult conversations (as Jane did)
A person gives in to a strongly worded demand when they really dont want to
Someone becomes controlling and directive when they are feeling overwhelmed
A person shuts down and becomes quiet when there is conflict in a meeting

These are examples of emotional reactions that can force us into unskillful default behaviors. For Jane, her default behavior was to avoid discussions about deadlines, because they trigger her emotionally. Janes 360 assessment actually reinforced this as she got feedback from others that they were noticing this behavior (of course nobody had the courage to give her that feedback directly, but thats a whole other conversation!).

The foundation of Emotional Intelligence is self-awareness. During the training program, Jane came to realize that the reason she wasnt holding people accountable (a behavior she knew she was supposed to do), was because she was afraid that the people on her team would get upset, and that they wouldnt like her. Avoiding conflict and needing acceptance from others are fundamental emotional needs we all have.

Gaining this awareness made a huge difference for Jane as it explained to her why she had not been able to hold her people accountable effectively. Jane learned techniques she could use to soothe her emotions and stop herself from moving toward her default behavior of avoiding these discussions.

With the coaching, she was able to identify low risk situations where she could practice stepping into tough conversations, even when she felt uncomfortable. She was eventually able to learn to manage her emotions (her fear of conflict and wanting to be liked) so that she could step in and have those really tough conversations with people who were not meeting deadlines.

If you want to gain self-awareness of what emotions are driving your behaviors, you can start by asking yourself some of these questions:

- When you are feeling emotionally triggered, what specifically was the trigger (a person, a situation, etc)
- In the moment when you felt triggered, what were you thinking to yourself
- What emotions may be affecting you? e.g. not feeling valued or respected, being disappointed, feeling criticized, needing to be right, etc.

If you can figure out what emotions are driving your behaviors as Jane did - you have made a big first step in getting to a higher level of performance.

Are you managing yourself, your team and the people around you for behavior without looking for the underlying emotions? I know I was only managing behaviors ten years ago, and by doing so, I was missing the biggest piece of the people-puzzle!

Bill Benjamin
CEO
Institute for Health and Human Potential
www.ihhp.com
bill.benjamin@ihhp.com

Emotional Intelligence Training Case Study- Medrad.

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Emotional Intelligence Training Case Study- Medrad.

EQ SUCCESS STORIES

IHHP - Institute for Health and Human Potential

Two years ago, John Gardner, Systems Engineering Manager at Medrad, a medical devices company, was recognized as someone with a high degree of technical skills and an ability to get things done.

But at what cost?

According to John, Although senior management liked that I got things done, they were frustrated with my methods of dealing with people. Essentially, management was saying, John, we love you, but we want to shoot you!

John focused only on the outcomes of the work, believing that task completion was much more important than peoples feelings. On the one hand, I was receiving performance reviews at the top of the performer range. Then I got a letter saying that if I didnt change my style, I might be fired. John couldnt believe that he was being knocked for his interpersonal style when he was delivering such amazing results!

Because the company valued Johns skills, they offered him the opportunity to participate in an Emotional Intelligence training and coaching program from the Institute for Health and Human Potential (IHHP). At first, John said, I thought I would sit through the program to appease management and get my attendance checked off. Quite frankly, I saw emotional intelligence as a waste of time.

After going through the program and follow-up coaching, John now sees Emotional Intelligence as a critical competence he was missing. I now realize that I was operating with only half of what I needed to be successful similar to rowing a boat with only one oar. This became truer as he rose in the ranks at the company. As an engineer he felt he could get away without EQ skills but not once he became a leader.

The Emotional Intelligence training and coaching that John participated in made him more aware of his impact on others and identified some gaps he needed to address. The training really opened my eyes to things like the importance of learning to react more skillfully when Im frustrated. I was unaware I had a problem with empathy until I got my 360 feedback in the program.

After the two days of training, John received the next component of the program EQ coaching from a qualified IHHP coach. John describes the process, The coach helped me understand how to apply the techniques in my life both in business and at home. At first I wasnt sure what to do, but with the guidance of the coach, I began to manage my emotions better and become more empathetic to others. As I worked through the exercises and learned to apply the techniques, I discovered that empathy went from being a tool I could use to a natural way of life for me.

These new EQ skills had a big impact for John, at work and at home. At work, he began to make big changes in relationships that were previously challenging. It was amazing; I was able to turn around relationships that were almost adversarial to the point where these people are now close allies at the company.

Recent results in his career are impressive:

In his last performance review, John received the highest review possible. Management indicated that they now consider his emotional skills to be one of his strongest assets even more so than his technical skills!
John laughs. Theyve even asked me to help in sales and marketing because of my people skills. The joke used to be, Dont let John near the customers! Now they put me in key roles.
John is now mentoring three people and there are several more individuals waiting to be mentored by him. People consistently ask John to teach them how to deal with others, and as a result John has evolved into an EQ coach to others in the company!

Although he has received raises and promotions since participating in IHHPs Emotional Intelligence training and coaching, John is now motivated by the kind of feedback he gets. Peers, management and direct reports now see me as a leader not just for my technical skills and get it done ability, but also for my skills in motivating people, resolving conflict and mentoring others. Those are the results that really inspire me.

Emotional Intelligence not only allows me to be a better leader in business; it also improves my relationships at home. I am able to listen better to my wife, to understand her feelings more and to be there for her on a deeper emotional level. This impacts her, and thus our relationship, very positively.

And story gets even better. Improving EQ skills has even allowed John to be a better coach on the soccer field. The kids on the soccer team, including my son, have all said theyre really glad Im coaching. They say that other coaches just yell at them and tell them what to do. Thats how I was before. It feels great to have all the boys telling my son that Im a great coach. Thats the best reward of all!

John has some advice for anyone interested in developing their Emotional Intelligence and achieving the kind of business and personal success he has. First, you must be open to the idea that you have some gaps some things you could do better. Then you have to invest serious time and effort. It wasnt easy to learn to manage my emotions and become more empathetic. Finally, get yourself a coach, they offer support, accountability and they can be trusted to help you work through the challenges you face both personally and professionally.

Real People Case Study Customer Highlights

Customer: Medrad

Industry: Medical Imaging

Business results: MEDRAD products are sold to hospitals and medical imaging centers in over 85 countries. Annual sales are approximately $300 million. Medrad employs more than 1,300 people based in 15 locations around the world.

Medrad Values: MEDRAD performance is a result of an unrelenting commitment to improving healthcare, to upholding standards of excellence, and to responsible activities for the benefit of our customers, shareholders, employees, and communities. These values are expressed through our culture and philosophy, as well as our ethical and corporate responsibility policies.

Offices: MEDRAD is headquartered in Indianola, Pennsylvania, 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The major location of 285,000-sq. ft. includes all headquarters, administration functions, and enterprise production units. MEDRAD is a global company. The European headquarters office is located in Maastricht, The Netherlands, and additional international offices are located in France, Germany, Italy, UK, Brazil, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Singapore, Egypt, Mexico, and Australia.