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History And Purpose Of Education In The United States

Education of the Minorities By the late 19th century educational debates were still raging on “who was to be educated?” and “how this education was to be carried out?’ Such philosophers as John Dewey and (closer to us) Jean Piaget understood that “all knowledge has a social origin, and the interest of the child are the primary source of learning” (Spring, 1989). The same author said that after the Civil War black leaders, particularly W.E.Dubois and Booker T. Washington debated not the importance of schooling but the kind of education for the Negroes. Mr. Washington, considered by many as a traitor, would acquiesce with the 1895 Plessy v Ferguson decision that said under segregation schools can be separate and remain equal. According to Perkinson (1991), Washington addressed publicly in 1895:

“…The Negro did not want social equality,

that he did not need social equality with the whites.

Nor did he want or need political or civil equality…

but cooperation with their white friends.

Negro education should be devoted

to the practical education of earning a living…”

Conversely, Dubois vehemently rejected that position and argued for equal rights for the colored people. During that epoch, diverse segments of society had been restless protecting their interests after the inaction of Plessy v Fugerson. The US Supreme Court opined in many cases in favor of minorities. Among those cases, worth noting are Pierce v Society of Sisters (1922, unconstitutionality of establishing schools only) and Virginia State Board of Education v Barnette (1940, unconstitutionality of forcing Jehovah witnesses to salute the flag). None of them had delivered a more devastating blow to the then racist establishment than Brown v Board of Education of Topeka (1954).

The Brown decision invigorated the positions of minority leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King who had long said that the reality of equality will require extensive adjustments in the way of life of the white majority, an adjustment that many are unwilling to make. (Smith & Chunn,1989). Arguing that “segregated education is inherently unequal”, the young and flamboyant lawyer Thurgood Marshall (later US Supreme Court Justice), helped Brown open the valve to a flurry of other similar legislations in order to right the educational wrongs done to minorities. In fact, Perkinson (1991) noted that black parents realized that their children were failing in schools not because they were culturally deprived (as racist views had purported) but because schools were incompetent to teach black students who, indeed, had a culture, a different culture.

I believe that, to many folks, it was not a matter of how to educate our culturally different children, but a deliberate case of not willing to do so. In fact, Shor and Freire (1987), “It is not education which shapes society, but on the contrary, it is society who shapes education according to the interests of those in power. In contrast, Perkinson (1991) responded, “By 1965, the schools had polarized American society into self-satisfied whites and victimized blacks, into indifferent suburbanites and despondent city dwellers, and creating winners and losers. These two views collided on the root cause of the plight of the blacks. But both remained ferocious advocates of the rights of the downtrodden, including the children of the immigrants.

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Do you have the right personality type to successfully run your own business?

It takes an entrepreneurial fire in your belly to start a business and make it succeed. Not everyone has it.

How do you know if you have what it takes to start a business? There’s really no way to know for sure. But I do find things in common among the emotional and family fabric of people ready to consider an entrepreneurial venture. You don’t have to fit all seven of these categories to be a good candidate for entrepreneurship. But it probably wouldn’t hurt. In general, the more you have in common with these characteristics, the closer you probably are to being ready to try going out on your own.

1. You come from a line of people who couldn’t work for someone else. I don’t mean that in a negative way. People who are successful at establishing their own business tend to have had parents who worked for themselves. It’s usually easier to get a job with a company than to start your own business; people who strike out on their own often have the direct example of a parent to look to.
2. You’re a lousy employee. No need to sugar-coat this one. People who start their own businesses tend to have been fired from or quit more than one job. I’m not saying you were laid off for lack of work or moved from one job to a better-paying one. You were asked to leave, or you quit before they could fire you. Think of it as the marketplace telling you that the only person who can effectively motivate and manage you is yourself.
3. You see more than one definition of “job security.” I am truly envious of the few people I know who have stayed with one employer for 25 or 30 years. They look very secure. But how many people do you know who are able to stay with one company for that long? In a rapidly changing economy, job security can be frighteningly fleeting.
4. You’ve gone as far as you can go, or you’re not going anywhere at all. Sometimes the motivation to start a new venture comes from having reached the top of the pile where you are, looking around, and saying, “What’s next?” Early success can be wonderful, but early retirement can sometimes drive energetic and motivated people totally crazy.
5. You’ve done the market research already. Don’t even talk to me about your great business idea if you haven’t put the time into figuring out if there’s a market for your product or service. As the people behind any number of failed Internet ventures will tell you, “cool” doesn’t necessarily translate into “profitable.” Don’t bother building it if you haven’t figured out whether there’s a good chance the customers will come.
6. You’ve got the support of your family. Starting a business is stressful under the best of circumstances. Trying to do it without the support of your spouse or other significant family members or friends would probably be unbearable.
7. You know you cannot do it alone. You might excel at promoting a business. Maybe you love running the financial end of the enterprise. You could be someone who starts a business because you have unique creative or technical know-how to create a product.

Any of the above is possible, but it’s unlikely that you are going to excel at all of these tasks — or at all of the tasks involved in running any business. Forget all that doing it alone stuff. You are going to need some help sometime.
The willingness to get that help — having employees, partners or consultants for those areas in which you are not an expert — is one indicator of likely future success. “No successful entrepreneur has ever succeeded alone,” development consultant Ernesto Sirolli writes in “Ripples From the Zambezi.” “The person who is most capable of enlisting the support of others is the most likely to succeed.”

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How To Start A Career In The Computer Field

If you’re considering a career working in Information Technology – a fancy way of saying “working with computers” – congratulations! I can tell you from personal experience that it’s one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. I can also tell you from personal experience that it is never too late to begin!

I started my IT career 10 years ago, and it was a tough decision. I was 34 years old, and really knew next to nothing about computers. I decided to attend a technical school to get my career started, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Ten years later, I write ebooks and teach classes dealing with different facets of networking, I’ve earned the most difficult computer certification in the world, and I’ve never been happier. The same thing can happen for you.

As with any new venture, there are some things you have to watch out for, so I’m going to share my experiences with you in this new series of articles. I’ll tell you what worked for me, what didn’t work for me, and some tips and tricks on developing a fun, exciting, and financially rewarding career in Information Technology.

The first decision, and one of the biggest, is to decide what technical school to attend. If you think you can’t afford it, think again. Ask yourself this question: Can you afford not to go?

Almost every college and community college offers some kind of technical class, so look into those. For many of us, though, a technical college such as ITT or ECPI is a better bet. These colleges have more of a focus on technology, and can also help with job placement.

What you should beware with some technical schools is an unrealistic emphasis on how much money you’re going to make when you graduate. Some schools are fond of mentioning the MCSE Salary Survey, making it sound like you’re going to make $65,000 or more in your first IT job. I’m not saying that can’t happen, but it’s not very realistic for your first job. When you visit a school you’re thinking of attending, ask to speak to someone in the job placement department and ask them point-blank where they’ve recently placed graduates and the salaries at which they were hired.

Find out how many of the classes include hands-on labs. This should be close or at 100%. The only real way to learn about software such as Microsoft Server, or any computer hardware, is to really work with it. Just reading about it isn’t enough. Believe it or not, computer hardware and software doesn’t always work the way the books say it will!

You should also ask the school if any of their courses include preparing for computer certification exams. Professional certifications such as the CCNA, Network+, Security+, A+, and MCSE can be a huge boost to your career and your salary. We’ll talk more about that in the next installment of this series. In the meantime, stop dreaming about a computer career and start planning on how to make it happen!

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Some facts concerning the treatment of dermatitis

There exist a few types of dermatitis, and the treatment varies, depending on the cause.
In contact dermatitis is important to determine what caused the irritation, and to avoid that factor. Helping in relieving redness and itching can be creams containing hydrocortisone or wet dressings that provide moisture to the skin.
Neurodermatitis treatment has as purposes to stop scratching and to avoid further aggravating your skin. You will have to wear a dressing that’s difficult to remove and leave it on for a week or longer. You can use sedatives and tranquilizers to help you stop scratching (but only the doctor will determine which drugs you can use); wet compresses can provide relief, and hydrocortisone lotions and creams may help soothe your skin.
Frequently shampoo use is needed in seborrheic dermatitis, and then you will have to carefully rinse your scalp. Tar, zinc pyrithione, salicylic acid or ketoconazole is the active ingredient of the commonly used shampoos.
In atopic dermatitis, applying hydrocortisone- containing lotions is needed to ease signs and symptoms. Wet dressings with mildly astringent properties may be prescribed if the skin cracks open. These wet dressings will contract your skin, reduce secretions and prevent infection. To help maintain normal skin texture and reduce flares of atopic dermatitis there can be used tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, which belong to a class of medications called immunomodulators. However, these drugs should be used only when other treatment fails.
In statis dermatitis, there accumulates fluid in the legs or ankles for extended periods, and the treatment consists in correcting this. Wearing elastic support hose or even having varicose vein surgery may be needed.
Also, to soften the thickened, yet fragile, skin and to control infection, there can be used wet dressings.
Perioral dermatitis has a treatment which consists in the oral antibiotic tetracycline. In the initial phase, in order to reduce signs and symptoms of perioral dermatitis, there can be prescribed a very mild corticosteroid cream.

To prevent contact dermatitis it is necessary to avoid coming into contact with substances like poison ivy or harsh soaps.
To prevent future bouts of dermatitis it is important to avoid dry skin. Try to have a bath less frequently, use mild soaps, brush your skin rapidly with the palms of your hands or gently pat your skin dry with a towel after bathing. It is also important to moisturize your skin.

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Prepare & Practice to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking

Public speaking is one of the most common fears around. Ironically, public speaking is a mandatory task for career success and social advancement (through networking or charity work). Even getting together with a group of people for after-work drinks can be viewed by some as a presentation! There are so many situations in life that call for public speaking… and so many benefits to successfully delivering a quality presentation.

So, if you want to advance in your career, or be an active member of a local club or organization, how do you calm those nerves, keep your heart from leaping out of your chest, and keep the audience glued to your words? How do you conquer the fear of public speaking?

OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING WITH PREPARATION One of the secrets is to prepare. Even if you aren’t aware of an opportunity in which you’ll be speaking, it’s a good idea to have a couple standard presentations on the tip of your tongue. For example, imagine a typical business situation you might be in (for example, a sales conference or a meeting) and put together a simple presentation of who you are, what you do, and how your work contributes to your customers’ success and your company’s bottom line. This is a good general presentation to use in work situations and can be easily modified “on the fly” for situations where some of the information may be irrelevant to the audience you’re speaking to.

Result? Imagine this: you’re sitting in a sales meeting and someone announces that they are going to call you up to the front to discuss your department’s recent success on a project. Rather than bolting for the door or declining the opportunity, you can stand confidently and stride to the front. You may not have been aware that you’d be speaking, but you are prepared with (at least) a majority of your speech already. Deliver it and add a line or two as appropriate (which will come easily once you’ve confidently delivered your prepared speech).

OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING WITH PRACTICE Prepare a typical speech and be sure to practice it regularly: several times a day for a month until it can be delivered with ease. Then scale back to once or twice a day after that. Soon it will be an automatic skill you’ll possess!

But don’t stop there. You can overcome your fear of public speaking in other situations, too, with additional speeches for the aspects of your life. Are you involved in a local charitable organization? Put together a speech for that situation, including what the charity does and what your role is.

And don’t forget that many other parts of life also call on us to “present”, even if we’re not behind a microphone. Perhaps you are in the market for a job, or you’re dating, or you have an active social life, or you’ve just moved and are meeting new people.

Think of every situation in which you might have a typical response and prepare that response ahead of time. With preparation, you can easily overcome your fear of public speaking.

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How to Care for Your Bufo Alvarius Toad

The Bufo Alvarius toad can live for quite a long time in captivity. The Sonoran Desert toad, in general, lives for five to fifteen years, but one toad lived to 36, although it was not a Bufo Alvarius. But if you have gone to all the trouble of searching the Sonoran Desert to find them, or have purchased either a single or a pair of Bufo Alvarius toads from a reputable source, such as Bouncing Bear Botanicals, you will surely want to give it or them proper care so they will live a long time and give you many years of pleasure.

The first care tip is handling. You should handle your toad as little as possible, and, especially if you have other pets in your home, always wash your hands both prior to and subsequent to touching your toad. This is because the skin of an amphibian is permeable, which is to say it is porous, and any toxic substances on your hands may easily be absorbed into their bloodstream. The reason why you should always wash your hands after touching the toad is because of the venom glands located on their head and legs. The toad venom has a milky appearance, and it may be sufficiently toxic to kill a small cat or dog. It can also cause serious irritation to eyes and nose, so make sure never to touch your face until after your hands have been cleaned.

Toads are sensitive to light, sound and vibrations, so their housing should be kept in a quiet place where there is not a lot of noise and goings-on. Never put their aquarium on top of a stereo speaker or TV set, or even near them, because the vibrations are not good for them. Toads are nocturnal animals. They rest in the day time and come out at night, so the place where you house your Bufo Alvarius toad should not be too brightly lit.

Probably the best place to keep your toads would be in an aquarium of a twenty gallon size or larger. These toads are very large and they are excellent at jumping, so make sure their aquarium has a cover that fits snugly. During the day, they like to burrow into the ground to conceal themselves, so the aquarium should have a floor made not with soil but with chunks of bark, smooth stones that are too big for them to swallow, peat moss or sphagnum moss that has been dried. These are cold-blooded animals, which means their body temperature comes from their environment, so keep your Bufo Alvarius in a place where the temperature ranges from 24 to 27 C or 75 to 80 F. Their living space should not be wet, but they do need a bowl of non-chlorinated water. They don’t drink the water, but they immerse themselves in it, absorbing it through their skin.

Feeding your pet toad should not be too problematic if you live in an area where there are lots of insects such as crickets, or at least a pet shop that sells them. In the wild, they eat anything from small rodents and fish to bees, wasps and scorpions. These Colorado River toads even eat smaller frogs and toads.

If you keep your toad’s accommodations clean and comfortable, and take proper steps to look after them, you should be able to enjoy the company of your Bufo Alvarius for many years.

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Online Psychology Programs

The growth rate for employment as a psychologist is above average due to an increased demand for these services in hospitals, schools, mental health centers, social service agencies, consulting firms and substance abuse clinics. Further, the average earnings enjoyed by industrial-organizational psychologists as of 2004 were $71,400. Online psychology programs give people the opportunity to study for a career in this challenging, rapidly growing field without compromising their other daily activities.

Students pursuing psychology online degrees learn about the human mind and behavior and its biological, social and cognitive bases, as well how to apply this knowledge to practical problems. Student enrolled in online psychology programs can choose to specialize in areas of psychology such as educational, child, clinical, sport, forensic, industrial, organizational, social and marriage and family therapy. The U.S Department of Labor reports that four out of ten psychologists are self-employed. The remaining psychologists work at places such as public and private schools, hospitals, state and federal government, correctional institutions, market research firms, advertising agencies, day care centers, mental health care providers and PR firms.

Dynamic positions held by psychology graduates include media buyer, copywriter, art therapist, retail buyer, teacher, child welfare caseworker and public relations specialist. A wide variety of exciting employment options exist for students who earn psychology degrees online.

In order to work as a psychologist, students must fulfill the required course of education, usually a doctorate, then complete an internship and gain one to two years of professional experience. Sometimes psychology students are also required to complete a thesis or original research paper. At this point, the student can take the application state licensing qualifying examination to become a psychologist. Most of the state licensing boards give a standardized test, but requirements vary from state to state. Some states also require continuing education to renew a psychology license.

Online psychology programs make it easy for busy professionals to fit continuing education requirements into their hectic schedules. Doctoral training programs in counseling, school and clinical psychology are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the National Association of School Psychologists are also involved with accreditation of school psychology advanced degree programs. It typically takes students five to eight years to complete psychology online degrees.

In 2004, psychologists held approximately 179,000 jobs. With the variety of interesting employment opportunities that exist in the psychology field today, online psychology programs afford students a chance for career advancement while they balance their work and family responsibilities.

SUMMARY: Students pursuing psychology online degrees learn about the human mind and behavior and its biological, social and cognitive bases, as well how to apply this knowledge to practical problems. Student enrolled in online psychology programs can choose to specialize in areas of psychology such as educational, child, clinical, sport, forensic, industrial, organizational, social and marriage and family therapy. The U.S Department of Labor reports that four out of ten psychologists are self-employed.

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Apartments for students – the highlight of college experience.

We prepare our whole life for the college experience. We are eager to grow up and have a little independence. After all, what can be more exciting than living with your friends and having tons of fun? Unfortunately, there is more to the whole college experience than fun.

Finding accommodations can prove to be quite difficult and this way more and more brokers, not to mention property management organizations specialize in renting and leasing apartments for students. Still, the first option for a freshman is to live on campus. It is close and he/she can be on time for classes but there are many other things to be taken into account. Residing on campus includes a meal plan which can be overpriced sometimes. Furthermore, the student must eat at certain times of the day and there is not much selection of a meal choice. Before choosing to live on campus, one must inquire about the meal plan, flexibility and other options.

A fairly good alternative to residing in campus are the apartments for students. Situated at convenient locations, there are many comfortable apartments for students out there. The easy access is a plus and there are many offers for rent or lease.

When inquiring about apartments for students, one must also ask about the kind of rent meaning short/long term and the monthly rate depending on the facilities. These accommodations provide a multitude of residing options from dormitories to condominiums. Sometimes, one may find duplexes for rent. The market is rich and many agencies advertise for fully furnished suits and brokers are prepared to assist you in finding the ideal accommodation for a student.

Apartments for students come with a telephone, basic cable TV service and Internet access. Of course, facilities vary from apartment to apartment. You may even encounter buildings equipped with study or fitness centers, fully equipped kitchens and private pools. Additional features include the panoramic views of the surrounding area.

The most important thing about these apartments for students is that there are within easy access to shopping malls, recreation centers and stylish restaurants. This is what students are looking for, proximity to fun and living in such apartments can be only comfortable.

Houses that rent apartments are another option for finding students accommodations. Even if they are school-owned or if a family will be residing with you, they are one of the best options out there. If we are talking about school-owned houses that rent apartments the advantages are awesome: the meal plan is not mandatory but optional, they are much more comfortable than a dorm room and are generally very close to school.

Some students even get scholarships or subsidies in order to pay for their residence. This is why they prefer to choose houses that rent apartments with a family residing. By doing household chores such as taking out the garbage or babysitting one can decrease the rent and enjoy home-cooked meals. The only slight disadvantage is that one can’t have his/her friends all day hanging and partying.

It is also possible to find houses that rent apartments online. There is a lot of information available about this kind of properties online. One can find all kinds of accommodations by going online from low budget accommodations to luxury places.

If a student wants to locate houses that rent apartments he can also choose to talk with a real estate agent, who will be more than willing to assist him in making the proper arrangements. He will talk with the owner; discuss property details, price rent, facilities included and other features. Sometimes, it may help to work with an agent as it will show you are serious about residing in one of the houses that rent apartments.

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Back to School – Is It For You?

A number of years ago I took the plunge and went back to college to complete a night-time degree. While it is good to have the qualification and it was certainly beneficial to me in my career, that road is fraught with difficulties and it is not one that any potential student should take lightly.

Study of any kind, done properly, is time-consuming. Much of the first and second years of my own course involved organising my life around my studies. With many lives taken up with families and careers, managing the study becomes yet another task in your life.

Before signing up for a course there are some important issues to consider.

Take your time deciding what you want or need to do.

Signing up to a flower-arranging or a woodworking class for 10 weeks is an easy decision but a 3 or 4 year course needs careful thought. Make sure it’s something you are really interested in. Why do you want to do it? Is it for work, pleasure or some other reason?

Be Realistic

Look closely at the course you want to do. There is really no point in taking on an engineering degree if you have always hated maths.

Do you think you will be up to the challenge?

Do you have the basic abilities to do this course?

What other course might better match your abilities and interests?

Look at the limitations of your time

For those with families and other outside commitments this is essential. Consider how often you need to go, the outside work – the homework and any other projects. How much time will they take up? Will you actually have the time to do it?

Think of the possible effect on family and those closest to you

The family and those we spend our lives with, need reminders that we haven’t forgotten them. The study is about them as well, as they are affected. They will need attention, maybe a bit more than usual as you focus on your studies.

Look after your health

For many people stress can be a big problem particularly as they have probably been out of education for a very long time. They worry about assignments and other projects. They fret about their ability. They also have much longer days due to the classes. Consequently there is a need to look after your health a little more, with exercise, good food and enough sleep and all those other recommendations health professionals give us.

Is it worth it? Yes I think so. There is a great sense of achievement and it clearly shows that we can take on study at any time in our lives, once we have the will and the time.

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A Brief Guide to Audio Conferencing Services