September 25, 2017

The Power of Professional Presentations For Students

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Due to the increased degree of high quality project-based learning, as well as changes in standards, instruction, and technology, students are doing more presentations.
Some of our students’ presentations are for their peers. Others are for more public audiences like parents, community members and business leaders. And some are shared with globally and digitally through social media.
First, having all students consistently present their work is a good idea. Secondly, we know all students need support in improving their skills as presenters.

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Presentation Rubrics (see http://www.bie.org/objects/cat/rubrics) are a great start, but we actually need to make the presentation skills part of our curriculum. Students need to learn about design, audience, messaging, branding and storytelling at the outset of a project and not just as an afterthought. Stories are how the most inspirational or motivational speakers present ideas, initiate innovation and ultimately get people to think. Need proof? Watch at any Ted Talk and analyze the structure of the presentation. They are narratives with beginnings, middles and ends with characters, conflict and resolution. Students need to master the art of informal and formal storytelling..

How can schools include presentations as part of their curriculum and give all students multiple opportunities to master those skills? Before we address the what and how, let’s explain the rationale of why.


Why Are Presentations & Presentation Skills
at the Heart of PBL and 21st Century Learning?

Pedagogy
PBL speaks directly to the idea of student presentations when it asks work to be PUBLIC. And ultimately, public implies beyond the classroom. Presentations allow us to demonstrate that we have learned content, but also that we have applied that content to something relevant, personal and sustained.

Skills
Communication has always been foundational in terms of academic and professional success. But in this digitized, globalized, and personalized economy, it’s more important than ever. Employers will identify this as foundational. Finally, more and more people are being asked to give a presentation as part of a job interview.
Standards
Presentation knowledge and skills are now part of new state standards. See the CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards (http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/) as an example. You can also find an emphasis on presentation in the technology standards as well.

Assessment
We now use performance assessments to measure student progress toward learning outcomes. Presentations are performance assessments. We are now asking students to defend their learning and share their portfolios. When one can articulate what they learned, why it’s significant and how it’s applied, they are truly demonstrating critical thinking and depth of knowledge.

Personal Branding
We are moving into a new economy where experts predict that 40%-50% of our future work will be contracted or independent work - known as the ‘gig’ economy. And even if we are not completely dependent on the gig economy, we're all going to need to know how to brand ourselves. When we don’t work for one employer, company or organization, we have to continually work to both find and secure work. In addition to our technical and career skills, we will have to possess the ability to articulate continually why we’re the right person for that gig. We need to know who we are, what makes our story unique and how we can share that.



How Can We Advance Our Students’ Presentation Skills Through the Curriculum?

Delivery
Yes, delivery and execution of a presentation are important. However, we can’t put delivery on the rubric and expect mastery.  We need to model, practice and perform - then repeat. As students become more involved and connected to their work, as well as master the other elements, delivery will improve too.

Visual Design Skills
This is the often neglected dark side of presentations. We all know what a bad presentation looks like, but we often don’t teach what a good one looks like. We need to make this a large part of the presentation curriculum. We have access to great digital tools, but are not well versed in design. Teachers don’t need to be experts, but rather look for the models and expose students to resources. The professionals use things like the Duarte (http://www.duarte.com/) so why shouldn’t our classrooms?


Storytelling
Like all skills, there is an art to storytelling. For example, all students should study things like Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” as a means to see how to craft a story (see more at http://bit.ly/CampbellsHerosJourney). Students need to learn that presentations are well-prepared and customized stories hand crafted by the presenter for maximum impact. We don’t just slap slides together with words and content. We start with the big ideas and learn how to communicate those with specifics meant to elicit, educate and illuminate. Students could learn from watching some the most popular Ted Talks (http://bit.ly/25MostPopularTedTalks).

Audience Analysis
All of us can benefit of understanding who is in the room (face-to-face or digital). We can learn how to cater and customize our message, as well as our our language, our visuals and our style. This will be important in all public venues and also enhance how presentations skills translate into interviewing/employability skills. The standards address the need for students to alter or customize their message for their specific audience.

Creating Opportunities


We need to continue to expand student opportunities to present publicly. Yes, students can present to peers in their classes. But that’s really the beginning and the novice level. To achieve mastery, we need to repeatedly set up more public opportunities. Schools can host and facilitate STUDENT SHOWCASES and EXHIBITIONS. We can connect our students and their work to board meetings, community groups, business leaders, website, social media and more. Schools can create and facilitate portfolio presentations, senior projects, defense of learning events, common digital portfolios, interviews and internships, competitions and contests, 20Time projects and other endless presentation opportunities for all students.


All students need to learn how to deliver effective presentations and have a myriad of opportunities, along with instruction, on how to make them as professional as possible. Because of the growing educational effort towards high quality project-based learning, we will continue to see the emphasis on students not only knowing information, but applying it and articulating.

September 19, 2017

The First Time For The Sitter

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As I strolled Rosie into my office, her eyes shot around the room. I thought about whether she was experiencing one of those mental agendas of things individuals hope to find in a clairvoyant medium's perusing room. I grinned, recalling that one customer who'd asked in a disillusioned voice, "Where's your gem ball?" Sorry, no ball, pyramid, enchantment wand or purple astro light (that one's upstairs in the room).

I motioned to the seat opposite my work area. Rosie took a gander at it, at that point back at me, and anxiously stated, "What am I expected to do now?"

"Grab a chair," I said tenderly. "Get settled. Is there anything you'd get a kick out of the chance to ask me? Or, then again we can simply talk a bit. Whatever you'd like."

"Much obliged," she stated, bringing down herself into the seat. She fastened her hands together in her lap as though she were pressing an anxiety ball. I could picture Rosie as an effective businessperson who settled on intense choices with certainty; here, however, she appeared to be uneasy.

She made a sound as if to speak. "This is my first time going by a mystic, and I don't know in case I'm acting the correct way."

"Kindly, don't act," I said with a chuckle. "Simply act naturally."

To comfort Rosie, I educated her concerning how my sessions regularly went and as I talked, she sat back in her seat and appeared to unwind. I was going to inquire as to whether she had any inquiries, when I felt a nearness go into the room.

"There's a respectable man here who needs to make proper acquaintance," I stated, at that point focused on the soul individual. "He's influencing me to feel an agony in my chest. He go from a heart condition. However, he says he's fine now, and can eat as much chocolate pie as he needs."

Rosie inclined forward, listening eagerly. "He's an extremely fiery man," I proceeded. "He influences me to feel like I ought to sing and moving. His name - I'm hearing a hard 'K' sound. What's more, there's something about a rover." I gave her a confounded look. "Why is he calling you a vagabond?"

"That was my significant other's moniker for me," Rosie stated, brushing a tear from her eye. "Carl called me 'Vagabond Rosalie.' We were both performance center majors in school, and our first show together was the melodic Gypsy."

For the following 20 minutes, I gave Rosie confirmation of her better half's quality, and passed on a few messages. The words from soul place satisfaction in her eyes. "I miss you," she stated, and I felt Rosie's significant other reach for his better half. In my psyche, I saw the soul embrace. As he gradually pulled back, I heard him murmuring "Everything's Coming Up Roses," and advised that to Rosie.

At that point her folks came to talk with her, and they complimented her child on breezing through his restorative permit test without a hitch.

After the session completed, I held up a couple of minutes, at that point asked Rosie how she was feeling. "That wasn't so terrible," she stated, at that point grinned. "When I arrived, I didn't comprehend what's in store."

"Culminate," I said. "I think things worked out in light of the fact that you came in without any desires. Desires can disillusion individuals, since they don't get what they're expecting, and regularly miss the stuff they're getting."

We stood up and as I was going to open my office entryway, I all of a sudden swung to her and shouted, "good lord! You have a developed child who simply moved on from restorative school? You appear as though you're in your late 30's!"

Rosie chuckled. "Indeed, that unquestionably made this visit beneficial!"

Carolyn Molnar is a Toronto based Psychic Medium and Spiritual Teacher. She has more than 30 years' understanding. She gives readings and furthermore shows others how to take advantage of their natural capacities.

Her book, 'The time has come: Knowledge From The Other Side', has had a genuine effect in how individuals comprehend instinct. She has been included on radio, TV and in print. Carolyn trusts instinct is open to everybody.
September 19, 2017

Nourishment Donation Camps for the Needy

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Nourishment security is a worry everywhere throughout the world and India is no special case. Given that 60% of the nation's populace still lives underneath the destitution line. We can securely assume, there is a noteworthy lump that can't bear the cost of finish three square suppers. The administration since autonomy has been working towards hunger annihilation. Projects like Food for Work and Antyodaya Yojna have done a considerable measure great in such manner.

In this period of broad private division improvement and corporate nearness, the legislature has made it mandatory for the corporate organizations to devote a level of benefits towards the advancement of society. This rose, the corporate world's compassionate stride called the Corporate Social Responsibility.

There are various organizations situated in Delhi-NCR, holding hands with government so as to construct a superior society where individuals at any rate can get to things to take into account their essential needs. One such CSR endeavor is to accomplish sustenance security among the financial improvement of poor families inside the ambit of Uttar Pradesh.

Sustenance Security and the CSR Foundation:

Sustenance security has been a noteworthy worry in Uttar Pradesh particularly in Noida and Ghaziabad. The CSR establishments have concentrated a decent measure of store committed towards Food Donation Camps, through which sustenance is circulated among destitute individuals. Their point is to visualize a group without nourishment emergency, where each person approaches nutritious sustenance thrice a day.

How Do They Achieve Food Security?

So as to accomplish sustenance security for all, the program: "Destruction of Hunger and Poverty" has been propelled. The goal is to hold hands with the Uttar Pradesh Government and give a solid nourishment base to the malnourished in the poorest of the poor families. The objective gatherings are landless provincial workers, every day breadwinners, underneath destitution line families and occasional jobless individuals. They oblige these individuals through nourishment camps and disperse sustenance.

Undertaking "Nourishment BANK":

The fantasy undertaking of a nourishment secured group is being pursued through the venture "Sustenance Bank". The CSR activity has received 21 towns in Ghaziabad under its ambit to give the advantages. As a team with Indian Food Banking Network, (IFBN), the establishment will endeavor to give non-perishable sustenance things like heartbeats and cooking oils to the few BPL and Landless groups of these 21 towns in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida.

Through this activity, the exertion of the legislature is being supplemented. While the legislature gives basic sustenance things like rice, wheat and sugar, through Public Distribution System's Fair Price shops, the "Nourishment Bank" venture expects to give sustenance things other than these. The venture "Sustenance Bank" plans to do this until the point that those towns are independent.

This monster nourishment hold is made through different channels. Various nourishment accumulation drives are sorted out keeping in mind the end goal to gather sustenance grains.

Alongside this, the corporate as a team with a few Educational endeavors will dispatch a Food Drive Against Hunger.

This sort of enormous exertion which is being taken up in Noida Ghaziabad, UP district, towards counteract hunger through Food Donation Camps, is the thing that the whole nation needs. Ideally, the CSR exercises develop at a gigantic level to have the capacity to serve the entire country and later on, the world.
September 19, 2017

Instructions to Fight Fake News

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It's very frequently that we read, watch and catch wind of news that stuns us just to later find that it is phony. With person to person communication news, regardless of whether it is genuine or phony can spread worldwide in a matter of minutes with many not discovering reality until hours or days after the fact. The Internet has been an extraordinary asset to many individuals, however with regards to the quick paced sharing society online phony news can harm to organizations, individuals and even their vocations yet there are ways that it can be decreased and eventually halted.

Online networking has made many individuals defenseless against counterfeit news and can cause correspondence issues. There are however routes for individuals utilizing long range informal communication locales to grumble about data that is observed to be erroneous or out-dated. Sadly these articles can at present be shared even after they have been accounted for however before they can do as such they will get a notice telling them the legitimacy of the article is being questioned.

Data that influences individuals to feel awkward is regularly kept away from which is the reason the legitimacy of news is so frequently looked past. It's imperative to challenge data regardless of how it might appear to function in your advantage should you not have the confirmation to go down the claim. As opposed to overlooking data that is by all accounts false the best practice is to report it with the goal that it can be investigated legitimately. In spite of the fact that you may not wish to share it, others will and that is the manner by which counterfeit news is spread.

Begin utilizing a newsfeed expert instrument to influence a diagram of the companions you to have and how frequently their data shows up in your newsfeed. On the off chance that their data is routinely wrong it could be a plan to tell them to allow them to evacuate it.

Take a gander and no more late decision, it was extraordinarily misconceived by writers because of the reality they needed to trust it would work to support them. Shared understanding and addressing is troublesome when individuals are contradicted. It is more valuable to cooperate to discover reality before printing counterfeit news and if effectively presented and addressed on be looked into for legitimacy.

Without a channel bubble that prevents you from truly observing what others are stating in the event that it doesn't concur with your convictions it is more valuable to see regardless of whether the data is right. On the off chance that it is not then you can delight in the reality you were correct, if not it could change your perspective.

Viral phony news is generally used to harm a man or organizations notoriety and profit so before getting tied up with stories on the web or else it is constantly better to discover what the contradicting gatherings would need to pick up by making counterfeit data.

By transferring apparatuses and utilizing web crawlers to discover more data previously choosing whether to share data or not, you could prevent the phony news from being spread in its tracks. Be productive in the way you share data and just offer what you know to be genuine not what snatches your consideration. On the off chance that everybody adopts this strategy counterfeit news could be a relic of days gone by.
September 19, 2017

200 Million 'MuMu' - An Oppressed State of the Mind

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A decent companion once let me know, 'man profits' be that as it may, I obviously contended something else. 'What part of the 'wilderness' would you say you are from, I tongue in cheek inquired? He reacted with a delicate grin however, stayed calm. I cleared out him supposing how 'absurd' and 'improbable' he truly was, to have such idea. Unintentionally, there's a generally opposite form of my companion's idea over from where I come. There's a well known saying in Nigeria, 'Cash makes a man'. My companion happened to be German and me, obviously, the 'coolest' thing to ever happen to Africa (or so we're made to trust), a Nigerian. With so much assurance, pride, guts-feeling and self-conviction, I set out to state, I'm gladly Nigerian!

Measurably, equitably and sensibly, there's energy in numbers. The power in numerical favorable position expands the odds of reasonable justification which, is constantly more prominent than that of a conceivable reason. Moderately, the truth of 'productivity' with less numbers can never be ignored. An awesome case and declaration to this are incredible accomplishments of 'Alexander the colossal'. His successes and triumphs were accomplished with an exceptionally vital, proficient, and powerful approach. He was generally dwarfed by foes on a proportion of 3:1 yet all things considered, he never lost a solitary fight all through his lifetime. So what does it mean? Does 'all the more' essentially signify 'better'? Is China fundamentally further developed than their opponent neighbor, Japan? All things considered, I'll leave that for you to contemplate.

In a broken and crashed frameworks like most underdeveloped countries where actually, everything 'works' and in fact in the meantime, nothing 'works', does assumed numerical favorable position matter? With the end goal of this article, I'll concentrate for the most part on Nigeria as a practical topic. Nigeria, a country of nearly or maybe, more than 200 million individuals with probably the most degenerate personalities, disposition or more all, mindset. A standout amongst the most instructed all around yet, 'rationally poor with darken outlooks'. The dominant part's attitude is degenerate with wistful standards and epileptic temperances and qualities along these lines, their initiative and government turns into the most comfort and simple focuses to property fault. Maybe, fault 'neo-expansionism'? Dirty move, attempt once more!

A country that worships debasement and its indecencies, where individuals approve impropriety and idolizes nonentities. A country where regarded media stages (Journalists and Bloggers) promptly acclaim and worship 'Criminals', 'Hooligans', 'Gangsters', 'Killers' and corrupt practices at a cost. A country where diligent work is disgraced and undermined, where resourcefulness and trustworthiness are considered shortcomings.

A country that chose to office, a blamed killer in confinement. A country where 'sick gotten' riches is celebrated, delighted and glamorized; where, 'Pastors' just educate and lecture 'how to get rich' principles. A country where 'Priests' are 'smaller than usual divine beings' as far as they could tell and rights therefore being worshiped in this manner, coercing, misusing and mentally programming their individuals. A country that is enormously religious for the most part because of monetary hardship. They accept unequivocally in ordinary 'predictions' than God, Bible and Quran.

The extremely well known English precept, "need as the mother of creation" appears to have significant special cases from an African country's specific situation and guise. In Nigeria and lion's share of African nations, "need appears to breed fear, gift, average quality, debasement, silliness, ineptitude et al." Majority of us are results of a tainted framework (since autonomy) or presumably a maladroit of a subjective good foundation. I decline to apportion fault to not only the pioneers but rather, everybody as we've been brought and reared up in the casing of one-sided acknowledge, dogmatism and epileptic perspective of reality and presence of mind. A country of over or right around 200 million individuals couldn't ad lib contrasting options to essential frameworks the 'pioneers' denied its kin.

A seventeenth century French Philosopher, Joseph de Maistre once stated, "Each country gets the administration they merit". Since freedom, Nigeria and the vast majority of her African partners have been limitlessly 'fruitful' at reproducing 'pioneers' with corroded thoughts and degenerate outlooks, pioneers with the most noticeably bad conceivable idea of life. Obviously, these 'pioneers' aren't outsiders be that as it may, subjects of the land. For as long as 60 years, this has been the stories of practically every African country everybody still accuses the 'pioneers' for their pickles. Maybe, could the French Philosopher be correct? Aren't these 'pioneers' intelligent of the genuine picture and manner of their masses?

Does a 'Gandhi', 'Mandela' or 'Lincoln', ever exist among the 200 million 'Mùmús' in Nigeria? Where are the dynamic personalities? Formal instruction isn't sufficient... is 'Upset' the appropriate response or Mediocrity proceed with its run the show? May God favor the 'Powerless and Hopeless'! Gladly Nigerian!

'Mùmú' is an everyday and casual slang for being 'simple'.

It's the ideal opportunity for all and each Nigerian to change their mindset towards progressiveness and desert all these backward methodologies and strategies that is never worked since accomplishing autonomy.

It's the ideal opportunity for each Nigerian and African in like manner to challenge 'the present state of affairs' of defilement, financial hardship, tribalism, neocolonialism and numerous different components obstacle to consistent development and advancement of their countries.
September 19, 2017

Calm Grid Founder Comes Clean

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Forbes: Please disclose to us how you established Sober Grid?

Mann: A couple of years prior, I was far from home at the Sundance Film Festival and I needed to interface with other individuals for both social exercises and strong association. This kind of association is particularly imperative when one is far from their set up calm encouraging group of people. I knew other cell phone applications existed to associate different populaces, for example, Grindr for gay men, Untappd for brew darlings, and Runkeeper for sprinters, so I was stunned to find that no comparative application existed to interface individuals in recuperation. I promptly perceived how advantageous such an application would be for individuals in recuperation, or individuals as yet endeavoring to get calm, and I set out to assemble.

I began it since I saw an essential, yet around then neglected, requirement for individuals in recuperation from liquor and medication dependence on find and interface with their associates. I entered recuperation at 23 years old, and I have depended on the help I got from calm associates to accomplish and keep up my restraint.

Forbes: What is interesting about this?

Mann: Sober Grid is interesting in light of the fact that it takes peer bolster into the computerized age. Calm Grid empowers individuals in recuperation from dependence on find and interface with others close-by, and additionally to take advantage of a worldwide calm group for prompt association and companion bolster every minute of every day, straightforwardly from their cell phone. In-person bolster gatherings are staggeringly gainful, yet they are not offered in all areas or consistently of day. Calm Grid expels boundaries that hinder individuals from discovering support wherever and at whatever point they require it, and puts this help in a man's pocket, enabling them to get to it "on request" with the touch of a catch.

Forbes: Do you have any fascinating stories about this organization has helped individuals?

Mann: Absolutely! We get input from Sober Grid individuals once a day, telling us that the help they got from others on Sober Grid shielded them from backsliding. Backslide, particularly when managing substances like heroin and different opioids, is truly a decisive situation. So Sober Grid is in fact sparing lives.

One story emerges specifically. A California man in his 20s - I'll call him Ryan for our motivations. Ryan was on Sober Grid and connected for offer assistance. Another part in the California region addressed his call. Ryan was battling with heroin enslavement and needed quick treatment. Sadly, he couldn't manage the cost of it all alone and was experiencing difficulty finding an office that would acknowledge him. The Sober Grid part who helped him contacted their associations and could get Ryan a grant and into a treatment focus. Ryan went to treatment and has been calm since. He credits the help he got through Sober Grid with sparing his life.

What additionally emerges for me are the various routes in which Sober Grid individuals are utilizing the application to address their own particular one of a kind needs and circumstances. For instance, we had one client in a remote range in Alaska who was battling, naturally, with sentiments of confinement. He didn't approach face to face bolster, and preceding finding Sober Grid, was endeavoring to defeat fixation all alone. Through Sober Grid, he could discover a group and a feeling of having a place that helped him with his battle. He could get the help he required, and associate with others at whatever point he expected to, in spite of his physical disengagement.

Forbes: What will this organization resemble a couple of years from now?

We are additionally discharging a stage that uses computerized reasoning and machine learning keeping in mind the end goal to extend on the off chance that somebody will backslide. The stage will likewise distinguish in the event that somebody has backslid so they can be associated with recovery suppliers.

Forbes: What might you say to individuals supposing in regards to turning into a business person?

Mann: I would exhort that on the off chance that you need to be a business visionary, you should take a shot at a venture you feel enthusiastic about. It is an extraordinarily troublesome endeavor that is both physically and sincerely exhausting. In any case, it is likewise a staggeringly compensating endeavor when you are attempting to manufacture something you are energetic about.

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