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Awards for Preventing Substance Abuse
Five Orlando public schools will be recognized for outstanding prevention efforts in the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs at the Statewide Prevention Conference in Orlando held at the Caribe Royale Resort.

Only 10 schools in the state are being honored during the event to be held on September 20, 2006.
Lancaster Elementary; Gotha and Southwest middle schools; and Boone and Timber Creek high schools will receive special commendation for innovative and community-involved programs to help students make responsible and smart decisions. All these Orlando schools are honored to have received such distinction in the state of Florida and are encouraged that their substance abuse programs have proven so successful.
?As educators we want all of our students to make the right choice when faced with decisions that could impact their young lives forever,? said Superintendent Ronald Blocker. ?I?m very happy that others outside of [Orlando schools] value and applaud the collective community efforts these schools are using so that our students can be successful in and out of the classroom.?
Florida?s First Lady, Columba Bush, will attend the Statewide Prevention Conference. She will be on hand to present the Orlando schools with specially-designed flags in honor of the recognition during the opening session from 8:30 ? 10:30 a.m. on September 20, 2006. Her participation adds extra bragging rights to the Orlando schools honored by her visit.
The five Orlando schools will receive further recognition during the annual Florida Department of Education?s Safe and Drug Free Schools Conference to be held next December. Their programs are being examined throughout the Florida educational community.
Orlando Schools Get Books from Donor
The CFE Federal Credit Union is donating $100,000 a year, totaling a half million dollars to Orlando schools to buy books for media centers. This is the fourth year of the Dollars for Books program.
?This is all about providing students with the tools they need to become successful,? said Joseph Melbourne, President and CEO of CFE Federal Credit Union. ?Reading is like compounded interest, a little each day adds up and it provides a wealth of knowledge for our students.?
What has become an annual event was held at Kaley Elementary School, where ten principals were each given a ten thousand dollar check for their schools. The Orlando schools receiving the donations are: Eccleston, Englewood, Kaley, Little River, Pinewood, Rolling Hills, West Oaks elementary schools; Lee and Liberty middle schools and Cypress Creek High School.
?The Dollars for Books program is just a great way for schools to obtain additional books that we don?t have the money to buy,? said Kaley Elementary Principal Sandra Daves. ?I strongly believe that improving reading skills is the best means to improve student achievement and our school is very grateful for this donation from the CFE Federal Credit Union.? Her sentiments are reflected in the opinions of students, teachers, and parents throughout the Orlando school system.
To date the CFE Federal Credit Union has donated $400,000 to Orlando schools to buy books. Hopefully the success of the program will ensure that it will continue in years to come, bringing more opportunities for reading in the classrooms of Orlando schools.

Online master degree programs are gaining much acclaim in the recent times owing to huge associated benefits in terms of flexibility and convenience to working adults.

That?s why they are the reality, they are the not the sign of future, they are the future fulfilling the dreams of the Professionals to build their skills.
Today online master degree programs are available in a wide variety of fields as Degree and Certificate Programs, MBA Programs, Business Courses, Computer, IT and Web Training, Career and Vocational Training, language courses etc.
Earning an online masters degree is one way to improve your workplace marketability and salary potential. There are major benefits to earning your master degree online. An online master degree is a surefire way to get your employer’s attention.
However, continuing your education at an advanced level, like a master degree program, is much harder than pursuing an undergraduate degree. The courses are more focused, but also exponentially more demanding. Students pursuing this specialized online education degree need to be committed to learning, otherwise it’s difficult to succeed.
Online Master’s Degree School programs are plentiful, easy to find, and can help earn a Master’s Degree from home, in a library, or while at work. Curriculums are demanding and rigorous so that a Master’s Degree can be achieved in just months of online study. So, before you choose a program, check out these four hot online majors that lead to master?s degrees:
? Master?s in Education - Teachers who are looking for a way to advance their skills and bring in more money often earn this degree. A master?s degree is a requirement to be an administrator in most primary, secondary, and college settings.
? Master?s in e-Commerce - This relatively new degree is popular with students who want to excel in the virtual business world. Students who graduate from e-commerce programs generally aim to be hired at companies and organizations that need a business presence on the web.
? Master of Business Administration (MBA) ? These online programs are a favorite with busy professionals who want to advance in their field of business. Business programs generally provide students with the information and skills to make informed business decisions. Fields of study may include finance, marketing, and management. Most programs require prerequisite coursework in business, but at some schools students can earn a degree in less than two years.
? Master?s in Information Technology - This degree has the potential to fuel the careers of those who earned their bachelor?s degree in computer science, math, or a related field. Typical fields of study include: data systems, systems engineering, project management, software, etc. Students with extensive professional background in the information technology field may be able to qualify for accelerated programs.
Always verify the legitimacy of any school or program before you enroll for an online degree program. It is also wise to compare prices and course schedules of at least three schools before enrolling in an online masters degree program.
Make a list of all the masters degree online programs you are investigating and compare what you are getting. Price is definitely a consideration, but less is not always more. If you pay for a masters degree online program that is not accredited, you may well be throwing your money away. Future employers will be paying attention to where your degree comes from, so be sure to align your career goals and program accordingly.
You will also want to confirm which masters degree online programs will recognize your previous degree. The most important factor to be considered before selecting an online university is the see whether it is accredited or not. Apart from that a student should also check if the accreditation body is a state recognized one. There are many accrediting bodies that are not recognized by the state; and getting an online degree from such universities is a waste of time as the degree is not considered eligible.
Finding a good accredited Online Master’s Degree School that is just the right fit for pursuing an Online Master’s Degree is just a click away.

? Is there an easy way to master math ? ?. I?m sure you must have thought this at least once in your life ( if not before every other math test ).

You must have felt at some point that how come some people are so good at Math while others fail to do even a simple addition correctly. Well if you have, then cheer up! , you are not the only one who feels like that.
Several studies have been done so far to determine what makes the math skill of one brain way superior to others. The M.R.I study done on people of different age groups and of different educational levels has produced a surprising result. The Study has clearly shown that morphologically (i.e. in terms of shape, size and structure) the brain of both the Math dudes and the so called Math duds is identical. ( And you always thought a missing part was responsible for your bad scorecard ). So where does the difference lie ? The Study has also confirmed that the Math dudes have higher brain activity in their inferior parietal cortex ( that part of the brain that is supposed to deal with math )
So what does all this add up to?Simply a driver conflict in the mind.
Before I reveal the secret to master math, let me tell you about an incident that happened not so long ago. One fine day my pc at home crashed. Anyway, before it crashed completely it was not working like a Super computer. To begin with, it had stopped playing any song or sound long ago and its floppy drive would not work as well (ok it was an old machine but believe me I was using it purely out of emotional reasons). For sometime now I was thinking of getting those parts replaced if not throwing the entire thing in the dust-bin.
Anyhow, I decided to do the clean reinstallation. After an endless wait in front of the blue screen, came the moment of glory. The screen read ? Your computer is ready to boot for the first time.? Immediately after that, the first thing I heard was the sweet old churning of my hard disk and then I saw the soft blink of my CD-Rom drive. And then guess what happened, the long dead floppy drive also followed the suit and started to blink. ? Hallelujah ? I cried out. Now I had realized that it was the driver conflict that was stopping my otherwise good hardware (yeah!) from working correctly.
For those who are wondering right now what ?driver? is, it is a small program responsible for making your hardware do what it does.
I became so optimistic that I went on a searching spree on the internet to find the right driver for my sound card as well. Finally, I did find what I was looking for and installed it manually. The result ? As I am punching this article on my computer (yes the same old one) my favorite John Denver song is playing in the background.
Now coming back to what we had started out with, as to why some people lack the math skill completely. What is that well kept secret to master math ? The answer is just one word - updates. People who lack math skill have not bothered to update their number crunching driver.
By now everybody is aware that computers are based on human brain.
Our Brain = Hardware of computer, comparable to CPU.
Our Mind = Software, comparable to Operating System (like windows, linux or whichever you find best)
Our mind needs numerous drivers ( programs ) to run its various faculties. Those are stored in our memory.
Some brains come right out of the pack with the correct drivers installed while others have to update their drivers manually during the course of their life.
Take this Quick Test to check the version of Math driver installed in your mind. ( Try to attempt the questions first on your own and then compare your approach to that given below.)
23 x 11 = What ?
Take your time.
I?m still waiting.
Did you get the answer ?
Now look at the approach given below.
Action performed:
No response at all / a mild headache ( very much like the overheating of a non functional part of a machine.)
Type of driver installed:
The mind with non existent driver or a malfunctioning one.
Action performed:
Tries to solve this way using pen & paper.
23
11
—–
23
23x
——
253
——-
Type driver installed:
The mind with an outdated driver installed.
Action performed:
since 2+3=5 , therefore 23 x 11 = 2 5 3
To multiply any 2 digit no. with 11 simply add the two digits and sandwich the result in between those two digits.
Type driver installed: The mind with the latest updated driver.
Before you take this test any further, let me tell you one good thing about the human mind. Our mind is designed to be very lazy. This in turn makes it super efficient. Confused ?? Read on.
Our mind always seeks to get the maximum output using the minimum effort. This makes it super productive. Our mind wants that at a click of a button ( that too if absolutely unavoidable ) everything should be done. Our clothes and utensils washed, our food cooked, our room cleaned and our algebra homework done.
I am sure most of us could have solved 23 x 11 by using the 2nd approach (long one). But most of us chose not to, as somehow the mind became aware that it was not the most efficient (read: easy) way of doing it. That is why once the mind is taught the easy way of doing things it seldom reverts back to its old inefficient ways. In my experience as a Math teacher, I have seen the students transform from math duds to absolute math dudes in a matter of few weeks once the right drivers are installed in their minds.
Now that your mind knows the shortest and easiest way of multiplying any 2 digit no. by 11, try few more examples and see which method your mind prefers.
26 x 11 = ____
2+6=8, thus answer is 2 8 6
i.e. add 2 & 6 and sandwich the result in between .
45 x 11 = ____
4+5=9, thus answer is 4 9 5.
Conclusion: This was just one example to demonstrate that the much needed math skill is thankfully already present in our mind. We are all capable of doing calculations at a snap finger speed. All we need to do is tweak our mind a little for optimum performance.
All the best.

Children’s Readiness Center
Student Disability: Significant developmental delays including autism, and mental retardation
Student Age: 5 to 8 (Early Elementary)
Students who attend this state-of-the-art early education center in Long Island need a highly individualized behavioral approach and small class size (6:1:2).

As part of its educational/behavioral approach, the program?s specially trained staff track results of each student?s activities in continuous documentation. Long Island school program goals include not only developing the youngsters? communication skills and increasing their social interactions but also accomplishing individualized educational goals in preacademic and academic programs. Parents and family at this Long Island school learn behavioral and educational strategies that can be used with the children at home.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the teaching methodology used throughout the program. Skills are broken down into small steps and various teaching techniques are used to ensure skill mastery under a variety of conditions. This Long Island School uses a progressive total communication system that may include spoken words, photographs, pictures, symbols and/ or sign language, to increase communication skills. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) method involves the child initiating a social exchange to make requests or communicate.
Carman Road Preschool
Student Disability: Preschooler with a disability (multiple disabilities, physical disabilities)
Student Age: 3 to 5
The Preschool Program at Carman Road School is one of many Long Island schools that provide total educational intervention for children with multiple, physical and cognitive disabilities in a specially designed environment. All children at this Long Island school are encouraged to reach their greatest potential through many activities that stimulate growth and development while building self-confidence. Youngsters are referred to the program by their local district Committee on Preschool Education (CPSE). Once accepted, they attend full-day classes, five days a week, entering an educational environment that promotes the greatest possible achievement.
The total child perspective at this Long Island school is used to address the needs of each youngster on an individual basis. The curriculum stresses the development of physical skills and the growth of cognitive, social, emotional and language skills. Each child?s unique abilities and needs are considered in all the program?s activities.
An Engineered Aided Language Environment, using visual strategies and assistive technology, are used to encourage physical development and the growth of communication skills for children attending this Long Island school. For each child, a multidisciplinary team develops strategies and methods to meet the goals and objectives of his/her Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Children receive physical, occupational, and speech therapies as prescribed in their IEPs. Time is spent each day encouraging the growth of skills needed in activities of daily living, such as feeding and dressing. Social skills are developed in structured activities and free play. This Long Island school uses individual and group projects such as painting, cooking, coloring, planting flowers, water play and using the sand table develop motor and learning skills. The children work with specially trained teachers in the Learning Center where they begin to use assistive technology, adapted computers, specialized software, touch screens and switches. Access to the Adapted Physical Education provides opportunities for additional growth in motor skills for children attending this Long Island school.
Parents can visit their child?s classroom and observe the program. They can also talk with the classroom teacher and with members of the multidisciplinary team on these visits and throughout the year as necessary. Parents also participate in the development of the child?s IEP. Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings at this Long Island school cover topics that are important to education and management of children with special needs and are held monthly.

Online degrees have become popular in the last few years, as the Internet has penetrated a huge percentage of households in the USA and the rest of the world.

The advantages of going for a n online degree are obvious - you can set your won schedule for the classes, you can attend at least most of the program from home and don?t need to get yourself to an actual class somewhere, the tuition is in many cases lower and the degree is recognized by many institutes and employers.
So, it seems like a great deal, doesn’t it? Well, it is a good deal in many cases, but like every deal, you should carefully look into it and then decide on the best way to go, that will suit you needs in the best possible way.
When you look at the online degree option, ask your self the following questions:
Which institute is the best for me? Many institutes have a online degree program, but you should choose the best one for your need. The most prestigious institutes doesn’t necessarily have the most suitable program for your needs. You want to explore and read as many reviews and recommendations as you can about the specific program you want to attend, and choose according to that.
Do I have the funds? Having a degree will in most cases help you earn more at your job or occupation. Buy, short term, you need money to pay the tuition. Make sure you take all the expanses into account and figure out where to get the money from. If you need a load - make sire you know where to get one.
Do I have the time? - We all struggle to make more time within our lives. Doing an online degree will require you to allocate more time, maybe 1-2 hours a day. Make sure you can make the time to meet your academic obligations.
Attendance needed? Some online degree programs require some kind of attendance, so they are not completely online. Make sure you are able to meet the minimum attendance required in your chosen program.
Online degree can be a real blessing for all those who seek to advance in their career and make more money in their jobs. They can now do that without the need to change their scheduled around. After examining the online programs closely, you are sure to find the one that meets your needs.