September 9th, 2010
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Sometimes you just really can’t be bothered to do anything productive. Don’t worry, these days happen and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a slob sometimes. But having this attitude can be bad if you have to get some work done or meet an important appointment.
How to Improve Motivation and Increase Productivity
If the lethargy is getting you down and you need to get back up quickly, try these well-tested tips to get some motivation and increase productivity.
1. Have a shower – It’s definitely true. All my best ideas come in the shower. I don’t know why but whenever that running water hits my head, it’s as if my brain suddenly wakes up and discovers that missing link in the rocket science plans I am working on. Ideas start flowing and when you get out of the shower, you will feel raring to go. At the very least, you will have woken up properly and will feel more fresh. For even more energy, try a cold shower. It’s been scientifically proven that cold showers help with focus, concentration and energy levels.
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September 8th, 2010
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Journal writing is a great tool for teachers to use to get students thinking, writing and focused at the beginning of class. Simply giving students 5-10 minutes to get their thoughts together and write an entry can have many positive outcomes. Teachers have found that children gain confidence and fluency in their writing from this daily exercise.
Using Journaling in Education
Journal writing is not just for English class either. Teachers of math, science and other subjects use this as a tool to reinforce what the students have learned and to allow them to ask questions about difficult concepts. Journaling can be beneficial in many different circumstances.
To begin with, journals allow the teacher to have an on-going conversation with students. The teacher can write comments and reactions to the students’ entries and the students can respond. This is a great way to get to know students and to give them a chance to share their feelings about what is going on in class. Students are more likely to open up in writing than they would in a verbal conversation.
Examples of Journal Writing Prompts
There are many ways to prompt students to write in their journals. First, students should be expected to write at the beginning of each class or nightly. It should be understood that the journal is a place where they can write without the pressure of correct grammar, punctuation, etc. The journal is a way for the students to keep a log of their activities throughout the year in order for them to go back and see how far they’ve come.
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September 7th, 2010
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Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is about to bring out his political memoirs and rather predictably, he is going to make a mountain of cash out of it. He would probably like you to think that he wrote the whole book himself but nothing could be further from the truth.
In actual fact, that book, published under the name Tony Blair, was actually written by a ghost writer, who will probably not receive any recognition, fame and glory at all.
What is a Ghost Writer Service?
And the thing is that’s OK. Ghost writers don’t write for fame, glory and attention. Instead they write for money. Call them writing mercenaries if you will, or a glorified writing service. Their job is to be a ghost, someone who floats about in the background, completes their writing assignment and then leaves again with their paycheck.
The Pros of Running a Ghost Writer Service
And it’s the same for nearly all celebrities, politicians and anyone else with a busy life who wants to bring a book out. They simply don’t have the time (and quite often don’t have the writing talent). So they hire someone to do it for them, give them a few hours of their time to provide background information (if a biography is being written) and then the person takes full credit for the book, after paying the writer off.
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September 6th, 2010
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Writing poetry as an activity with your child can instantly bring you closer together. The very creative quality of this genre encourages the sharing of deep, personal thoughts between parent and child. There are few activities that truly demand your undivided attention and imagination.
Poetry Encourages Open Dialogue
The subjects discussed with your child while writing a poem together may include family issues or memories. This is a good way to encourage open dialogue about things that concern your child. Many problems can be solved in this manner. Your child will feel safe to share his ideas through writing.
Working on a poem with your child provides a sense of accomplishment for both of you. The poem will always be there for you to look back on and discuss. You can also share it with the rest of your family. An activity that has a tangible end result will give you something to be proud of and to treasure.
Writing Poetry Together Shows That You Care
Taking the time out of a busy schedule to write a poem shows a level of caring that your child will respect. Writing a poem takes a certain amount of concentration and undivided attention. This time spent together is precious and full of collective creative energy.
Sharing and exchanging creative juices with your child allows both of you to see a different side of each other. You will be witness to the inner-workings of your child’s mind and your child will be happy to hear your ideas as well. Writing poetry encourages a new way of looking at everyday things and it asks that you dig deep down inside for these ideas. As you and your child take risks together, you will naturally become closer and gain a new understanding of each other.
Writing poetry is a fun and interesting way to interact with your child. The discussions, quality time, creativity and end result will inevitably bring you closer together. Not only will you and your child have a closer relationship, you will also have a beautiful poem to show for it!
September 5th, 2010
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Since 2004, I have worked from home and it has both its good and its bad sides. But despite that I could never go back to working for a conventional employer outside the home again.
Once you begin working from home, you can never revert back because almost immediately you are intoxicated by the freedom of being able to get up when you want to, start work when you want to, and take breaks when you want to.
I mean, I highly doubt a normal employer will let me take a one hour siesta in the afternoon, as I do right now. Or let me sit at my desk naked as I sometimes do. Or sit naked at the window waiting for the female blond postwoman to come deliver my mail as I…er….heard some people do.
Sounds good right? However, before you rush to become self-employed, there are four downsides to working from home.
1. Lack Of Human Interaction – When you work in a place outside of the home, you are working with other people. You chat with them, discuss work with them, sit with them in the canteen and discuss last night’s football game. When you start working from home, you don’t have any of that (except via email and IM but that doesn’t really count). The difference is quite overwhelming at first and it takes quite a while to adjust. I know some people who couldn’t handle the loneliness and solitude and went back to working for someone else, just to hear the “buzz” of the office again.
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September 4th, 2010
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Children love to use their imaginations as they create through writing. Once a teacher that is teaching creative writing prepares students for a writing activity, she simply needs to step back and allow their creative juices to flow. The following are five strategies that will enable a teacher to start students off on the right foot.
1. Free writing: This tool is used to get the students writing without the inhabitions that would put a damper on the students’ creativity. A free write can be about a topic suggested by the teacher or on a student-generated topic.
Students don’t need to worry about grammar or punctuation while free writing. This activity is a great way for them to come up with story ideas, or to get a start on a more involved writing assignment. They can use the free-write as a guide for further work.
2. Working in groups: Once a piece is written, students can read their work aloud to each other. Their peers can give suggestions on grammar, content and anything that doesn’t make sense. Students could also work in groups on a collaborative piece– this is a great vehicle for writing poetry and skits. To take this activity one step further, a teacher could ask the students to act out a play as a group for their class.
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September 3rd, 2010
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One of the most popular writing genres these days is the short story. In a time when people are rushing about in their ever-busy lives and everything has to be shrunk down into headlines, summaries and bullet points in order to get someone’s attention, the short story stands out as a medium where people can be quickly entertained.
This is in comparison to a novel which takes far too long to complete and which requires a huge investment of time, energy and deep thought. Three values which are becoming increasingly rarer as everyone’s attention span turns into the length of a SMS message.
But its short duration does not mean that a short story is easy to write. Many a person have attempted to write short stories only to end up in the rejection pile of an editor’s desk. As someone with some experience in writing short stories, here’s four creative writing tips to make your short story more attractive to a book or magazine editor.
1. Don’t get too ambitious – Remember, a short story is in the region of 5000 – 10,000 words. It isn’t a novel which can be in the region of 100,000 words. Therefore if you are planning a mini Lord Of The Rings-type epic with wars, fantasy worlds, sword fights and magic, the short story may not be the right format and you should adjust your sights accordingly. If you are determined to make it a short story, scale down the plot and make it less complicated. Otherwise you are only letting yourself in for grief later.
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September 1st, 2010
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Writing a book report is a necessary task for students, and it helps to know how to do it. There is a great deal of work involved in how to write a book report - between reading the book, taking notes and writing the actual report. The following tips will keep the student writer on task while improving the quality of her work.
1. The first thing one must do is read the book. The book should be read casually and for pleasure at first. The writer of the report should include his opinion of the book as part of the book report. Through the second reading, one can gather information with a more critical eye. It is during this reading that the notes and quotes should be taken.
2. Next, one should make an outline. This step involves setting up the report, including the quotations and noting the introduction, body and conclusion of the report. The more detailed this outline is, the easier it will be to write the actual report. The writer may check the outline frequently to stay on task and to remember each important detail.
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August 31st, 2010
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Are you looking for economical search engine optimization services that won’t break the bank or eat up all of your profits? Most small businesses can’t afford the ridiculous rates that many so-called SEO “experts” charge. To be honest, most businesses can’t afford the damage that these services do to your website either.
The Pandemic of SEO “Experts”
When I first got involved with Information Systems in the early 1990s, computers were a novelty. The Internet was unheard of. By 2000, a majority of families throughout the Western world had at least one computer, and Internet usage was commonplace. As new websites flooded the information superhighway - the inevitable happened. Competition among websites to get in front of the eyes of readers grew more and more fierce.
The Mystery of Google is a Recipe for SEO Scams
Without question, Google quickly became the gateway for the Internet. Getting listed at the top of Google’s listings for certain keyword searches has fast become a cottage industry. Just like everyone and their mother claims to “know computers” - almost everyone claims to “know SEO.”
Even worse, the secrecy of the Google algorithm fosters an environment where people create SEO businesses, and promise business and website owners lots of traffic. They claim to have the skills and the knowledge to get your website listed at the top. These are SEO scams.
Well, today I’m going to lay those claims to rest by telling you what they are actually doing, and how you can really obtain high-quality, economical search engine optimization services.
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If there is one thing that print journalists hate, it’s the internet. And who can blame them right? After all, it’s the internet which is killing their profession.