Professors - Use Timers in the Classroom (For Your Students and For Yourself) - Increase Focus

When you teach in the college classroom, it's hard to keep track of the time. This is true during lecture, Q & A portions, learning activities with your students, student presentations, and yes...even breaks during long classes.

I got started using timers when I was still teaching at the university. Since nearly all of my classes met for three hours at a time, we always had a break mid-way through the session. It was easy for me to lose track of time because I was talking with students, answering questions from individuals, or handling concerns of groups who were working together.

To help keep *me* on track (and of course, to make sure students were getting their money's worth from me by having a full class session), I started using timers created on PowerPoint. Originally, I just created "break" timers but then later, I found other ways to use timers in the classroom. Students responded well because they knew exactly how much time they had remaining. It also helped me feel more relaxed about taking the time with students that they were allowed rather than frantically looking at my watch and trying to remember what time the break had started.

I tended to use numerous cooperative and collaborative learning experiences within the class time and wanted students to stay focused on their tasks (instead of veering off into chit-chat, which could happen if they felt that had all the time in the world to complete their tasks). Using a timer that was displayed at the front of the room helped them feel a sense of urgency and to begin to bring their learning responsibility to a close as the time "ticked" by. This eliminated the frantic, "Wait, Dr. McIntosh! We're not finished yet." I was able to move smoothly between and among the student groups, glancing at the timer as needed. If I sensed that not enough time had been allocated for the task, then it was easy enough to go to the computer to readjust the time remaining.

A third use for timers are the using them during tests. It's rather jarring to students' concentration if you are booming out every few minutes, "30 minutes remaining," or "You have 10 more minutes," and the like. By creating a timer that displayed the time beginning at 1 hour, then showing it by ten-minute increments until it gets to the final 10 minutes, it helped students to glance up periodically and keep themselves on track.

You may create any number of different timers for yourself or feel free to access the ones.

that are available at no charge on http://meggin.com/DownloadsTimers.php

We might as well all keep sharing and investing our time where it makes the most sense. Enjoy these and enjoy your students and your classes!

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(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., "The Ph.D. of Productivity"(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!

Advantages of a College Education

In today's global economy looking for a job can be tough and getting one can be even harder. With so much competition for the few jobs that you are looking for can mean that competitors will go that extra mile to obtain that job and become a part of a workforce. So what can you do to open up more opportunities for your career in the industry that you want to work in?

How about a college education? Many consider a college education a great way to kick start a career in a chosen path. Colleges will provide you with the skills and knowledge that you need to start in the industry of your choice. Whist undertaking the courses you will gain knowledge and get experience from those who can be a great source of information.

A college education will provide you with many benefits over those who aren't fortunate or do not choose to undertake such a qualification. One such advantage can be the availability of jobs. With stronger competition for jobs the employers can afford to be more selective and you may find that a higher education will give you the edge on any competition applying for the job. To a potential employer a completed college qualification will show them that you are able to study, complete tasks that have been set, meet deadlines and work towards and reach a goal. This allows them to see that you are able of undertaking long term work and stay on the job until complete. Some college courses involve working in a team and this will also show the employer that you are able to integrate well with others and work well in a team environment.

Undertaking a college course will also allow you to gain any experience that you might need with computers. The work place today is vastly populated with computers in various types of industries from admin assistant to architecture all of which use technology to drive the industry forward.

A completed college course also opens up the opportunity to work in many fields that are just not open to those with out a college education. This is not to say that college provides you with the only way in to an industry but it will certainly open up some doors that other wise will remain locked with out one. Many careers that involve science or engineering require a qualification that shows you are able to undertake such work and alongside practical experience the chance of obtaining such a job becomes far more realistic.

Salary benefits are also something that draws people to a college education. People with a recognised qualification can climb up the ladder in a company, usually faster than those without any such experience as this can show you are willing to work hard and focus on the task in hand.

Through these few points it is easy to understand why people are opting for a college education. It's a great was to gain experience and the knowledge that is needed to enter a certain industry and allows any potential employer to see how committed you are to the industry you have chosen to work in.

One college that offers such diverse courses is Northampton College who are one of the popular choices for people looking for Colleges in Northampton.

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The Greek World and Its Benefits

When you hear "Gamma Phi Beta" you are probably like most people and you instantly think of fraternities and sororities. This is because this name and others like it have become synonymous with fun and adventure, but the fact of the matter is that the Greek world that exists at colleges around the country has a lot to offer just about any student. It doesn't matter where you come from, what your major is, or even how old you are, Gamma Phi Beta and other Greek organizations can improve your college experience.

Wondering what Kappa Kappa Gamma or other Greek organizations can do for you? First and foremost, it will give you a place to fit in. Many people who are going to college have a difficult time finding their place. They don't know if they should focus on the academics or the social life or both. When you belong to a Greek organization you instantly have a niche because you have other people around you that you identify with for many different reasons. When you have a place to fit you'll find that it is easier to enjoy all of the aspects of college life.

In addition, Greek organizations are great for the social life. While college is about academics it is also about socializing and getting to know yourself better as well as learning to get along with others. When you belong to a fraternity or sorority you'll find that you always have something to do, somewhere to go, and people to do it with. You have the organization in common and that means that you'll share a lot of the same experiences. You'll meet new people through the fraternity or sorority and you'll simply have a lot of fun. If you are looking to improve your social life this is a great way to do it.

If you want to pump up your post-college resume belonging to Kappa Alpha Theta or another Greek organization is a great way to do it. Through your Greek group you'll find that it is easier to get involved in charitable events and with charity organizations. You'll be able to put all kinds of fun stuff on your resume that will give you a lot of experience and will also make you a very attractive candidate for just about every employer out there. It's important to always be keeping an eye on your future and joining a Greek organization is a great way to do just that while giving you some great memories in the process! There are a lot of different fraternities and sororities to choose from, so see which groups are at your university and think about getting involved, you'll be glad you did!

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. When you hear Gamma Phi Beta you are probably like most people and you instantly think of fraternities and sororities. Wondering what Kappa Kappa Gamma or other Greek organizations can do for you? First and foremost, it will give you a place to fit in.

Why College Diversity is Important

According to the US Census, almost one-fifth of the entire population over age five in America speak a language other than English when at home. The same statistic skyrockets to about fifty percent in the Miami area alone.

Another interesting example of diversity is that there's an estimation of about 170 different languages spoken on the streets of New York City. In fact as a result, New York City mayor Bloomberg ordered one hundred city agencies to start providing services in six foreign languages in addition to English. These additional languages are Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Russian.

So the reality of today's environment in North America is that ethnic and cultural diversity is here to stay. Whether it's inside offices, factories or outside with customers, we will likely encounter more people from different cultures than ever before.

Colleges and universities in North America are also getting more diverse student populations. Not only have many foreign students have been choosing to attend North American schools for their higher education, US born visible minorities who were children of immigrants from around the world are also making it onto campuses now.

With the additional influx of students from the Native American and African American communities as well, the campus scene is certainly very different from what is looked like a generation or two ago. But college diversity is not just about differences in race or culture. Americans from the west coast, east coast, mid-west and the south, all have some interesting regional differences. These can also be found on campuses and does represent a form of diversity as well.

With so much diversity on campus these days, colleges need to know how to manage this in order to ensure that diversity becomes a positive rather than a negative experience for students and staff. In fact, arming college students with some skills in the form of diversity education will definitely help them function better in their future careers given today's diverse working world.

Colleges and universities are also businesses. The ones that can effectively target foreign students will become popular institutions of choice from this overseas market. Companies that ignore the need for both market and workplace diversity education will soon lose out in the modern business world of today. Forward thinking companies will recruit and retain the best overall talent. These organizations will also be able to target diverse markets effectively. But companies need people who are well versed with diversity skills to make this happen.

Unfortunately, diversity skills are not usually part of the standard educational curriculums at colleges and universities. However, this represents a huge opportunity for campus activities programmers to help supplement these essential diversity skills for students. Cultural events can be organized where students and staff learn more about different cultures, especially if they are already represented in the student body or staff on campus.

Outside speakers who speak on diversity topics can also be brought in to help students and staff develop diversity skills. These skills will help both students and staff function more effectively in diverse environments.

Clint Cora is a motivational diversity speaker, author and martial arts karate world champion. His book, "The Life Champion In You", is about how to overcome challenges and achieve life success. It is one man's journey from personal tragedy to becoming a karate world champion. More information about his speaking programs, books, videos, articles on diversity, motivation and success can be found at http://www.clintcora.com

Student Success Skills - Making the Most Out of a College Education

Whether you yourself are a student or are the parent of one, regardless of the level of education, building certain student success skills is a crucial part of getting the most out of an education. There are many qualities that can help a student learn, but some are much more helpful than others, and in this brief article we'll take a look at some of the most important characteristics to promote in any student, be they in first grade or a junior in college.

Student success skills can be broken up into four categories - classroom, home, financial and personal. Classroom skills involve abilities like test taking, which includes keeping cool under pressure, working under a time limit, and learning how tests work. Another useful classroom skill is observation - the ability to take notes quickly and clearly, the ability to gather information in a number of ways. There are several types of learning that any student might use: aural, visual, and kinesthetic. Aural learners retain the most information through listening, visual learners get the most out of seeing something, and kinesthetic learners through actually doing something.

Home skills are important after a student has gotten information, as they need to know what to do with it. Examples of home student success skills would be reviewing notes, working on a computer (knowing things such as how to upload and e-mail files and using word processors is a huge help), and avoiding distractions. Having a strong work ethic is also an important part of getting work done at home, and students should train themselves to try and perform a certain amount of studying each night or at least for a few days a week. Students without a proper work ethic often fall behind in studying, and the first thing to go after studying is test scores.

Financial student success skills are more important today than ever before. For the first time reports have come out showing that more students are dropping out of college due to financial reasons than academic. It is important your child receives a practical financial education before heading off to college or your child may return back in debt, with no degree and needing a place to live.

Personal student success skills are somewhat more vague, but can include things like students staying interested in and challenged by their classes, as well as getting to class on time and dividing up their time in a realistic way. Personal responsibility plays a huge part in the independent lifestyle of college, and should be learned early on. Academic coaches can be used to teach students these skills, and personal tutors can have a huge effect on overall performance.

Need help finding more information on how student success skill coaches can cut the cost of college by a third? You can find it at http://www.nyfec.org/, which provides an array of useful academic information.