Humor in the Classroom 4 Ways to Engage Even If You Are Not Funny

Today’s generation of student has been granted thousands of satellite channels, iPods, iPhones, video games, and millions of websites to surf at their leisure (or in the back of your class). All of these items are the competition of every faculty member attempting to GRAB HOLD of the attention of the A.D.D. students of today.Alas, here are a few great tips for faculty to incorporate humor to better engage today’s generation of students (even if you don’t think you’re that funny):1. “Utilize Visual Enhancers”You can easily locate funny jokes, cartoons, blogs, and pictures relating to your field or subject through using Google and Google Images. Simply search under keywords such as “biology humor,” “accounting jokes,” or “funny marketing”, and you can stockpile weeks of material at your fingertips. This same search can also be used for YouTube video clips, which has seemingly captured every funny moment in the history of mankind (or, at least, their mankind).Sound like time-consuming research?Take advantage of the “Google Alerts” tool to flag such keywords, allowing you to receive email notifications when new cartoons, articles, or videos are posted on such phrases. Let the Internet do the work for you, and you can be credited with igniting a fresh, fun learning environment students will look forward to.2. “Keep Your Eyes Open”Keep an eye out for comical scenes from movies or TV, which might have some direct or even indirect relevance to your field or subject. Did you see something hysterical on Jay Leno’s “Headlines” segment, but didn’t have your TIVO running? Simply visit http://www.nbc.com the next morning, where you can retrieve and share any such headlines from previous episodes.Also, be sure to reference the sarcastic hit book “Non Campus Mentis: World History According to College Students” by Professor Anders Henriksson for immediate classroom comic relief. Always be on the lookout for books and resources on humor in the classroom to sharpen your skills in your craft.Opportunities for humor present themselves throughout each day. Be prepared to capitalize at any time, as you just might present such humor at the exact moment a stressed-out student needs it most.3. “Provide an Environment for Students to Share Humor”When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have fun in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo to students better than other students. “Make learning fun” is one principle which holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.One professor allowed each student the opportunity to create a funny/creative image at the beginning of each class to introduce that day’s topic. The students embraced the challenge whole-heartedly, and amused each other to a level which even became competitive! The class was so enthralled, this professor noted that class attendance was considerably higher than the previous semester, and tardiness became virtually non-existent.Other professors enjoy the world of practical jokes–just use very good judgment that the recipient will be a very good sport! As with other humor attempts, always try to make the humor relevant to the subject or the learning process.4. “With Humor, Timing is Everything”Specifically, some faculty believe in strategically placing a humorous visual aid as a “commercial break,” used as either a segue between chapters, during a particularly mundane topic, or when the eyes begin to “glaze-over” in the middle of a long lecture. Other faculty prefer to begin class with a humorous find, or end class on a good note. There is no golden rule-whichever you might be more comfortable with, or might receive the best response.Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!Certainly, seven minutes is a daunting task-if not downright inappropriate for education. However, there is an understanding about the human attention span which can be garnered from Zig. Most importantly, though, faculty members should challenge themselves to incorporate at least one humorous attempt per class session. Anything.Why are these effective teaching tools?Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However, separate academic studiesfrom Iowa State University, Bowling Green University, and Johns Hopkins University each determined that incorporating humor in the classroom improves student retention, interest in the subject, faculty ratings, and even class attendance.Scientifically, laughter helps the human body produce endorphins, which relieve pain and induce euphoria. Both can come in handy during a stressful semester for a student.Besides: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life? Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh? Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day?We would all love to create this impact.As with anything else, these tips may not work every time, but give them a shot.Students will want to attend your class, pay more attention in your class, and be more inclined to engage in interactive discussion if an environment of humor exists. Students can sense which faculty members are “going through the motions”, and have taught the same course the same way for 20 years. Students can also sense who enjoys their job, and who wants to interact with students.Indeed, you just might make teaching more fun, interesting, and enjoyable for yourself, as well. You’ll be amazed how much you will look forward to going to class when you have something great to share.

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Debt Relief Advice – Tips On Avoiding Bankruptcy and Reducing 60% of Your Debt

If you owe way too much money to your credit card company, you need to seriously look for debt relief advice to bail you out of a financially tight situation.For one thing, getting help could help you avoid bankruptcy, which could irreparably damage your credit history and could lead to you being a social outcast. Bankruptcy, regardless of the circumstances leading to it, is not looked upon favorably by people so that is a situation you should try to avoid.However, the correct debt relief advice could help pull you out of the financial morass and will allow you to get back on your feet. Even if you owe a great deal of money, say $10,000 and up, proper help could mean you could end up reducing 60% of your debt.So instead of having to pay back the $10,000 you owed in the first place, you could end up paying just $4,000, a substantial savings and an amount which you should be able to comfortably manage to repay.The right choiceYou may well be wondering how this is possible and the answer is simple. If you go out seeking debt relief advice, most will tell you to go in for a settlement with your credit card company.This involves going through a relief network which in turn will put you through to a settlement company which will negotiate with the credit card company for you. Once the negotiations are over, you will find you will have to pay back less amounts of money because the exorbitant interest rate has been slashed and fees and charges waived.In fact, you may be able to pay the reduced amount over an extended period of time which gives you ample opportunity to get your finances back in order. Credit card companies have to be willing to give you the opportunity to resolve your financial problems and they are nowadays more than willing to listen since if you declare yourself to be bankrupt, they get no money back.With a settlement you can pay back the money honorably and with your head held high as the negotiations and the outcome are binding. You will not have to worry about collection agents coming after you but for your part you have to make sure you make your payments in time.Debt settlement companies are widely available in just about every state however some are just flat out more experienced than others in debt negotiation. That’s why it’s so important for consumers to use debt relief networks. These networks qualify and only accept the best performing debt settlement companies. To find a legitimate debt settlement company in your state check out the following link: Free Debt Advicecontact us for free debt advice = 8884442820

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Don’t Let Colorectal Cancer Touch You

Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer, includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. With 655,000 deaths worldwide per year, it is the fourth most common form of cancer in the United States and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world.Colorectal cancers arise from adenomatous polyps in the colon. These mushroom-shaped growths are usually benign, but some develop into cancer over time. Localized colon cancer is usually diagnosed through colonoscopy.Colorectal cancer can exacerbate if you always let yourself be constipated. And constipation can be preventable by following healthy lifestyle.Here are some tips on how to prevent colorectal cancer:eat fibrous foods such as fruits and vegetables
drink at least 8-10 glasses of water everyday
limit oily foods such as pork
exercise! at least 3-4 times a week
empty bowel everyday
if u feel the urge to defecate, then do it as long as possible, don’t let waste stay longer in your body
do not over eat. if you feel you are already full, then stop eating
chew foods very well
have a regular check up. Have a digital rectal exam once a year
visit your doctor if you experience frequent changes in bowel. (e.g constipated yesterday, diarrhea today )The NIAAA reports that: “Epidemiologic studies have found a small but consistent dose-dependent association between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer even when controlling for fiber and other dietary factors. Despite the large number of studies, however, causality cannot be determined from the available data.””Heavy alcohol use may also increase the risk of colorectal cancer” (NCI). One study found that “People who drink more than 30 grams of alcohol per day (and especially those who drink more than 45 grams per day) appear to have a slightly higher risk for colorectal cancer.” Another found that “The consumption of one or more alcoholic beverages a day at baseline was associated with approximately a 70% greater risk of colon cancer.”One study found that “While there was a more than twofold increased risk of significant colorectal neoplasia in people who drink spirits and beer, people who drank wine had a lower risk. In our sample, people who drank more than eight servings of beer or spirits per week had at least a one in five chance of having significant colorectal neoplasia detected by screening colonoscopy.”.Other research suggests that “to minimize your risk of developing colorectal cancer, it’s best to drink in moderation.”On its colorectal cancer page, the National Cancer Institute does not list alcohol as a risk factor; however, on another page it states, “Heavy alcohol use may also increase the risk of colorectal cancer”.Drinking may be a cause of earlier onset of colorectal cancer.

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E-book marketing – E-book Marketing want a different kind of approach

E-book marketing is not as easy as selling hard copy of books; this requires a different kind of approach. For a person to create an e-book it is very easy and to upload them on a site is even easier for the help www.ebook-creation-toolkit.com. But when it comes to e-book marketing, they need to understand the concept behind what an e-book is and who the main readers of such books are. Only then will they be able to reach out to the right kind of target audience and promote the book. In e-book marketing, you will need to have an ISBN number to promote it on other online shopping sites. This is an International Standard Book number, which is unique to every book and which is how they will be identified. One can also make sure of affiliate marketing strategy
To promote the publisher and the site at the same time. This will make the visitor add to the traffic on both sites. A way of increasing the number of visitors automatically ensures that your business will flourish. For an individual if they are into writing and looking for more assignments, by using such techniques they can draw new opportunities.

Another mode of promoting your e-book is by putting the site with search engine optimizing inputs which will ensure it pops up every time someone types the keyword. When building the site, make sure to have information that will appeal to the general public and not just one kind of audience. This will come in handy, because whoever reads through it, will remember or at least spread the word to others they know. Or if you know of some companies that are into selling stationary, you can tie up with them and place your ads and banners on their site. This will help divert some of the traffic from there to your page. Increase in e-book sales will reflect on the revenue earned by the site company. Some of the e-books might be free, while others would have to be purchased at a cost for the help www.make-your-ebook-sell.com. And if you have any discounts or offers going on, make sure to mention then right on top. Else people might not notice, and this means you could have lost a customer.

www.ebook-secrets-revealed.com
www.profit-pulling-ebooks.com

At the end of the day, if you have to be successful, you need to have your basics right. And this is possible only if you have followed the rules of e-book marketing, which are to educate people who visit your site, grab their attention and make a sale. Even if they don’t buy the e-book, they might have fallen for the e-book marketing strategy and are likely to come back for a second visit. This way you can maintain a database and you can get in touch with them, whenever there is new e-book on the stands, and might get lucky then.

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General Property Issues Related to Divorce and Family Law in California.

Community PropertyCalifornia is a community property state. All property that is purchased or acquired during marriage, or transmuted (converted) to community property during marriage is community property.The husband and wife in a marriage, each own an undivided one half interest in all community property of the marriage.Community property is not divided, unless divorce proceedings are initiated, or upon the death of either the husband or wife.Community property can be either real property or personal property. Community property can also be businesses, pension plans, or any other type of tangible thing that is acquired during marriage.Community property is ordinarily one of the major issues involved in divorce actions.Quasi Community PropertyQuasi community property is property that is acquired outside of the state of California during marriage. Although married couples may have purchased property in a state that is not a community property state like California, the property will basically be treated as though it were community property for purposes division in a divorce action in the state of California.BusinessesBusinesses that were started during a marriage are community property.
In some instances a person may have owned an existing business before they were married, and continue the business after marriage. In a divorce action, the courts will allocate a percentage of value to the business “after marriage” to determine which portion of the business is community property.If you owned an existing business before marriage, it is extremely important for you to consult with an attorney in a divorce action as soon as possible.PensionsAny portion of Pensions, IRA’s, 401(k) s, Retirement plans, etc., that were contributed during marriage are community property.Ordinarily the funds from pension plans are not obtainable until the pension plan vests and matures. Therefore special orders are necessary from the court so that each party is able to get their portion of any retirement plan after it matures and vests. These orders are ordinarily called qualified domestic relations orders or QDRO’s for short.Obviously parties to a divorce have a vested interest in ensuring that they get their fair portion of any pension or retirement plans after a divorce.Community Income, Bank Accounts, Stock, and InvestmentsAll income earned during a marriage is considered community income. This is true even in one of the parties to a marriage earns money in a business that was theirs prior to marriage. Community income is the same as community property, in that each party owns a one half undivided interest in community income.Each party to the marriage has a right to spend and use community income, even if they are not the one that earned the money. However, after legal separation or the initiation of divorce proceedings, parties may only use community property for the necessities of life and to pay their attorney.Likewise, any bank accounts, stock, and/or investments that are acquired during the marriage are also community property. This is true even if the bank account, stock, and/or investment is only in the name of one of the parties.Some parties try to secret money into separate bank accounts during marriage, and/or hide assets there were acquired during marriage from the other party.If you are a party in a divorce action, you have what is called a fiduciary duty of disclosure. What this means is that you must disclose all assets, bank accounts, and other of the investments that were acquired during the marriage to the other party. If you fail to fully disclose your assets and/or income to the court and the other party, the court could severely punish you.You may have read about the case where a wife won the lottery, and then initiated divorce proceedings against her husband. She failed to inform the court and her husband about the fact that she won the lottery. As punishment for her failure to disclose the fact that she won the lottery, the court gave her husband the entire amount of the lottery winnings.Separate PropertySeparate property is all property that was acquired before marriage; during marriage by devise, will, or inheritance; and after legal separation. The proceeds from a personal-injury judgment or settlement are also separate property, even if they were received during marriage.Upon the court making a finding that property is separate property, the person owning said separate property will leave the marriage with their separate property.Separate property can be transmuted (converted) to community property by intent, or by inadvertence. For instance, a party may have a separate bank account before marriage that would be considered separate property. If the party then takes income that was earned during marriage and deposits that money into their separate bank account, they may have by inadvertence converted that bank account to community property.Obviously, parties in a divorce proceeding will most likely want to keep their own separate property after the divorce is over. It is very important for you to contact an attorney with regard to the issue of separate property to ensure that you get to keep her separate property after the divorce.If you are contemplating filing for divorce or are presently involved in a divorce proceeding, you may call our law firm for a free consultation at 818-739-1544 ext. 10, or go to our family law website at http://www.divorce-legal.net .By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2006

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Get a car tracker gps to ensure your car can never be lost

It has become almost mandatory for everyone who has a car to use a car tracker gps these days. With the amount of car thefts and damages which occur every day, a car tracker gps goes a long way towards helping a car get recovered, if the owner ever has the misfortune of it being stolen. Car tracker gps are not just used for tracking stolen cars, they can also be used for surveillance purposes e.g. to make sure that whoever you let borrow your car is going exactly where they said they were going. Apart from the using a car gps to track a personally owned vehicle, they can also be used by people who run a business related to travel. The car tracker gps can be fitted into a car and from head office of a company, you easily track movement of vehicles while sitting next to your computer. Car tracker gps systems have proved to be very useful for fleet owners e.g. to track the movement of taxis within a company to see how far away a cab is from a pick up. Especially useful since taxi companies don’t have set routes for travel.

 

A car tracker gps is also used a commonly used gadget used by police personnel, when it is suspected that a vehicle is being used for unlawful activities. The car tracker gps is also used to track people upon suspicion of them taking the vehicle to places where they are not supposed to go. In some situations, car tracker gps is even used by people who want to keep track of where their spouses are traveling to and from, if they ever act suspiciously. In all  of these cases, using a car tracker gps has proved to be useful in discovering where a particular car is. The equipment for the car tracker gps can be fixed into  any car with relative ease, and it can stay well hidden for long periods of time. There are simple car tracker gps systems that give you the location of the vehicle, and there are more sophisticated versions that can connect to software that will enable users to see a satellite image of where the car is located. Due to the advancements in technology,  the invention of the car tracker gps system helps the right owners to have control of their vehicles at all times. There are some laws that need to be followed before the use of these car tracker gps systems in any vehicles, and these should be adhered to if a customer does not want to be on the wrong side of the law. 

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Employment Law Solicitors Protect Your Rights

As an employee of a company, you tend to look at your work place as your second home. However if things can go wrong on the home front there is every likelihood that they might go wrong at your work place as well. Especially in the current climate where many companies world over are making cutbacks and thousands of employees are facing the sack, you need to be aware of your rights. Only then will you be able to stand your ground and get what’s due to you. Employment Law Solicitors help you in that regard and make sure you are not at the receiving end of a bad deal.But to know your rights you have to be aware of employment laws, something that you are not expected to. Employment Solicitors on the other hand are experienced professionals who know the inside outs of the system and will defend your rights with their expertise.There are many scenarios you can use services of Employment Law Solicitors and it’s heartening to know that they work on No Win, No Fee policy. It only means they will be doing their job at the best of their abilities to make sure your case reaches its successful conclusion.You can hire them in any of the following scenarios:If you have been made redundant because of spending cuts your company has planned.Unfair or wrongful dismissal by your employers.Constructive dismissal where your employer makes it practically impossible to work for him.Maternity, paternity or any other parental issues that might be a bone of contention with your employer.Compromise agreements that might be too complicated for you to fathom.Employment Law Solicitors bring their invaluable experience to your case. They have worked on hundreds of cases like yours both for employees and employers and thus know how the cookie crumbles. Their expertise goes a long way in strengthening your case.What do they offer you?If you choose to hire Employment Solicitors, they can be easily reached with a simple phone call. Most of these companies run a 24 hour helpline service thus you can reach them in case of any emergency and at the eleventh hour.These solicitors will assess your case for free and only on the merit of the case accept it. They will then guide you on the future course of action required.You will have a lawyer assigned to your case who will give it complete attention it deserves.Each case is different from the other that’s why you will have a specialist solicitor handling your case.Your lawyer will keep you abreast with the progress on your case. It will make sure you know exactly what is going on.Employment Solicitors also take over the job of gathering evidence to strengthen your case further.They will do the negotiations on your behalf and make sure you get the best deal possible.You don’t have to be hard done by lopsided employment deals any more

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E-Book Marketing Management To Promote E-Books

The traditional books are bygones. It is an era of e-books as they signify contemporary life.

In case you are going to sell the e-book written by you or you are planning to launch an online e-book store, there are a number of factors that you need to consider for gaining success in this field.

There are a number of aspects associated with E-book marketing that are must to be understood in order to sell e-books effectively. First of all the content of the e-book must be appealing and the title of the e-book should cover the theme of the content. Such books gain immense success with the right kind of e-book marketing.

The next step is to search the targeted areas. Each e-book has a specific area where it can be searched. The theme of the e-book also plays an important part in determining targeted areas.

If you are the writer of the e-book, then try your best to put the meaningful and informative content for the promotion of your e-book. If you are going to market the e-book of another writer then it is must for you to have a look at the content and also ask the writer about his/her work experience. The marketing of a well established writer can be effective as well as trouble-free.

If you are new to the web world or working with an amateur writer, then you need to frame a rock-solid strategy for effective e-books promotion. Move accordingly. Get the regular updates of latest marketing skills and authoritative techniques.

You can also provide some space in your e-book for ads. You can also opt for pay per click etc. For marketing of e-books you can also go with reputed article directories. You can also encourage your visitors to promote your e-book. The right kind of promotion acts as a very powerful marketing tool. By following such strategies you can easily elevate your sales as well as profits.

To get the required success your e-book marketing management must be robust. You can also build some hyperlinks in your e-book. Marketing of anything is nothing but an art. It may be tough initially but with the help of perfect marketing skills you can achieve the requisite success.

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Learning To Identify Antiques

If you think that the silver plate your nana passed down could be an antique than you should find out to know for sure. Attempt to think how it came to be in your family. Did your family buy it from an auction sale it or did they find it at a flea market? Many people have purchased these simple items for a low price not knowing what they really were. One of the single ways that you can learn how to distinguish these pieces is if you study them first. Purchase magazines or books that will assist to teach you what to look for and what the most popular pieces are. They will provide you with tips on how you are able to spot a fake and methods used to determine where it came from.

After some studying you will be ready to truly study the piece that you have. Look at it all over and try to discover the mark of the manufacturer. This is commonly settled on the bottom. This can be a number, symbol, or a name. Frequently when the manufacturer made a piece they will stamp or indent the mark that is on it. Do a bit more research concerning the mark that you found to find out what era it was made in. The art work and design should also help to determine the year. This will help you to understand not merely who constructed the piece but also how rare they can be. It will help you to know what materials were used to make it. If you think that you have an antique teapot or plate than you will be ready for the final step. It is time to take it to an authenticator who will determine how rare it is and how much it is worth. They will be able to tell you what will make it special or why it is a fake.

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Make Pasta Dishes in No Time

You invited someone over for dinner and then it suddenly hit you. You lack ingredients for the beef stew you are about to prepare. You cannot cancel the invitation and it is too late to make a trip to the grocery. Many of us have experience this dilemma. Little did we know, there is a way for us to get out of this embarrassing situation.All you need to do is whip up a pasta dish. Cooking pasta is very simple and you are guaranteed to find some ingredients stocked in your fridge like butter, cheese, mushrooms and carrots. Check out your cabinet for some dried herbs and spices you could use. A leftover jar of green olives or artichoke hearts will add zing to your pasta.You can use either elbow macaroni or spiral shaped pasta. These noodles are recommended because you can use them as the main course and as an appetizer.As your noodles start to drain, you can begin preparing the rest of the ingredients. For a tomato pasta dish, you can either use olive oil or melt butter in a hot pan. Add fresh tomatoes or a can of tomato sauce, whichever is available. Once the noodles are cooked, you can pour in the sauce and drizzle some grated parmesan or hard cheese.For a pasta salad, you can use some leftover salad dressing or extra virgin olive oil. You can also add cubed or sliced salami, red onion, diced tomato, green and black olives. Top it off with balsamic dressing for a perfect dish on a hot summer day. Just remember to shake off some salt and pepper to taste.For a homier feel, you can make the classic macaroni and cheese dinner. This recipe has been around the American kitchen for so many years now. Not only it is very easy to cook, it only takes simple ingredients to prepare. On a medium heat, melt two to three tablespoons of butter. As the butter melts, add some flour into the pan. Mix until the flour turns to brown and then pour in a half cup of milk. Sprinkle some crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Keep stirring the mixture until the texture becomes smooth and thick. Then carefully add grated, sliced, cube or shredded cheese in. Continue whisking until the cheese melts completely.So there you go, simple and easy pasta recipes that you can make out of some leftover ingredients in your kitchen.

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