Colours of Life

From childhood to old age, life is a rainbow with each colour representing a different shade of life. As Shakespeare put it in Seven Ages of Man All the World's a Stage and as we go through our lives we play the same character in different colours.
Childhood is filled with moments which are looked back upon as fond memories. The years of fun, laughter, innocence and mischief are the ones that remain in our minds as eternal bliss. Whether we spent them running around playing games, engrossed in books, surrounded by friends or pulling pigtails on the playground we all have stories about the early years of our lives that we tell with such joy. We hold these years of life closest to our hearts, cherishing the joys of our ignorance.
But as we all know, childhood doesn't last forever and before we know it we're teenagers, understanding ourselves and the world around us. Those teenage years are truly turbulent. Remember your first kiss? Your first date? There's a maddening excitement to those years that flows through every teenager's blood. It makes us want to sing, shout, dance when no one's looking and laugh at the silliest things. It is in these years that we discover who we really are and find the people and things that we value the most.
Once college is done, life takes us to the ‘real' world. Suddenly, our jobs become an important aspect. We begin to understand finances, work culture and worldly matters. Many choose to travel when they can, and spend time exploring areas previously unknown to them. This fantastic phase of life is filled with the yearning for more. Ambition takes us from one place to another until we finally settle into the comfort of married life.
With married life comes a new beginning – a new life with a spouse and maybe even the pitter-patter of little feet in the house. Life is now lived as a collective and the wellbeing of other has to be thought of before that of our own. Living with and for a family is a joy in itself. In our children we see ourselves. We look out for them as much as we can and soon learn that we have to let them make some mistakes for themselves.
Old age is often considered to be a second childhood. Time after retirement is spent relaxing, enjoying all we earned throughout our lives. With family there to help out whenever needed, now's the time to do all those things you told yourself you would but never got around to doing. With a perspective that is framed by knowledge, the world is a different place; much calmer and clearer than ever before. Wisdom is at its peak, and sometimes shared with the young ones around us.

These colours of life make this journey a beautiful one. Shared with friends and family, we always look back affectionately on the years gone by and ambitiously on the ones coming. However, the moments that you're living right now are the ones that really count.

Marvelous Libraries of NYC

To broaden one's horizon and thorough understanding of the topic, libraries are integral for any society. More over these help out the ones who cannot afford to buy books, yet they want to grasp knowledge. Considering all these factors, New York City has a wide stream of public as well as private libraries.
The cooperative library system of New York City is PLS—Pioneer Library System. It covers forty-two libraries such as of Ontario, Livingston and Wayne & Wyoming offering lucrative offers with addition to various deals to only their members.The new york city good education city all over the world.
The fifth largest public library in USA covering the important New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Bronx and Staten Island is the Brooklyn Public Library System. The most important research library in the world and the best throughout USA is the New York Public Library.Anna Lily is the resource writer for Newyork-Luxuryhotels.US. A website dedicated to provide you information about the Best New York Hotels and Attractions.
New York City is truly amazing in all aspects. Talk about music, food, arts, architecture, history, wine bars, sport clubs, luxury hotels, recreational parks, NYC is rich in it. New York City has the largest number of educational institutes in the world. To complement its outstanding teaching staff, New York City has the best libraries in the world.
Upper Hudson called UHLS is committed and dedicated to relieve the citizens of New York City. Built in 1959,The Ramapo Catskill Library provides excellent services and has a collection of books on all the topics  the basic target of this library was to serve the adjoining counties of Orange, Rockland and Sullivan.
New York City has numerous other libraries such as Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, Clinton Essex, Franklin Library System, , Four Long Island Library Resources Council, Mid-Hudson Library System, Finger Lakes Library System, Mohawk Valley Library Association, Monroe County Library System, Nassau Library System, New York Public Library, Queens Borough Public Library, Ramapo Catskill Library System, Southern Adirondack Library System, Steele Memorial Library, Suffolk County Public Libraries, Upper Hudson Library System and Westchester.

Basic educational theories for classroom instructor

As a classroom instructor, are you familiar with the basic adult learning theories? It is understood by most educators that the process of adult education involves more than providing students with a textbook and developing learning activities. Adult learning is influenced by classroom conditions created by the instructor and the characteristics of the students, which includes their specific needs, expectations, societal roles, and responsibilities. The process of learning involves an acquisition of transferable knowledge and the development of academic skills, which is also the primary goal of most adult education programs. There are three basic educational theories that inform the process of classroom facilitation and include andragogy, self-directed learning, and transformational learning.
Andragogy
The theory of andragogy was developed as a method of informing educators about the process of adult learning, with an emphasis on the adult's needs. Andragogy was developed as a means of understanding the adult and is a learner-centered approach. This is in direct contrast to the theory of pedagogy, which is an instructor-centered approach to learning. Andragogy places an emphasis on active learning with the adult taking responsibility for learning and becoming a co-creator of knowledge. Pedagogy is a theory of teaching children and utilizes a passive form of learning where the students are given knowledge by the instructor. When andragogy is used as an instructional strategy the classroom becomes a collaborative learning environment. Instead of the traditional use of lectures to deliver information and tests to measure learning, adult learners are allowed to interact with the information to create knowledge and they are given choices about projects that will demonstrate their progress towards meeting the learning objectives and outcomes.
Self-Directed Learning
Self-directed learning, as an adult education theory, is an extension of andragogy that considers the needs of an adult and how learning occurs. A self-directed learner wants to make decisions about the process of learning and be given choices that promote a sense of autonomy. In addition to taking responsibility for their learning the adult is expected to plan and control their process of learning. The theory of self-directed learning as a teaching strategy involves offering options about learning activities and projects, while providing tools and techniques that support the process.
Transformational Learning
Transformational learning as an adult education theory is focused on the cognitive process of reflective thought as a means of learning. As an instructional strategy, the adult learner is asked to reflect on their belief systems and then they are challenged to consider alternate views through discussions, self-assessments, and group problem solving. As an adult begins to consider other perspectives they become transformed and learning occurs. The theory of transformational learning is effective when utilized as a planned activity rather than as a means of course design.
Many instructors are assigned a course that includes a pre-programmed syllabus and learning activities. While there may be little flexibility provided for modifying or adapting assignments, it is still beneficial for an instructor's facilitation practice to understand the foundational theories of adult education. Andragogy and self-directed learning remind instructors that adults expect to be involved in the process of learning and want an opportunity to make choices about their level of involvement. Transformational learning provides a basis for understanding the role of cognition in the process of educating adults. At the very heart of these theories is a recognition of the adult's developmental needs and the co-creative nature of adult learning.

Social Networking & Children

Just mention the word MySpace and many parents of teens feel uncomfortable, apprehensive, or just downright scared. After all, they read daily reports of sexual predators roaming MySpace, rampant cyberbullying, and children who have been abducted (and even murdered) by someone they met on MySpace. Dr. Larry D. Rosen, professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills recently published an article on teen MySpace use and parental involvement. The article is called, "The Impact of Parental Attachment Style, Limit Setting and Monitoring on Teen MySpace Behavior."
In this sudy, three important questions were studied:
(1) How prevalent are Internet and MySpace dangers?
(2) How aware are parents about what their children and adolescents are doing on MySpace, and
(3) What role does parenting play in the online experiences of children?
In this study 1,091 pre-teens and teens that are on MySpace as well as one of their parents were interviewed. The study was designed by inviting a variety of parent-teen pairs to go to an online, anonymous survey website. First the parent, in the privacy of his or her home,answered a series of questions about
(1) personal Internet and MySpace experience;
(2) their beliefs about what their children are doing online;
(3) their understanding of the threats of sexual predators, cyberbullies, pornography, Internet addiction and other highly publicized MySpace fears;
(4) their parenting style; and
(5) how they monitored and limited their child's use of MySpace and other technologies. The fact that they were answering these questions without providing any identifying information led to extremely honest, and often blunt answers and admissions.
Next, the pre-teen or teen (we studied children from 11-years-old to 18-years-old), in the privacy of their home, answered the same questions as their parents plus additional assessments of their psychological health. Actually, in our other studies, we asked teens even more questions about psychological health including depression, self-esteem, and Internet addiction, the results of which I will mention briefly below.

This study is the first of its kind to anonymously interview parents and teens and allow them to speak their minds without worrying about anyone knowing their "business." We continue to follow this model for research using anonymous websites to collect data on important, sensitive social issues.

Social Networking Education

"It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?"
Remember that phrase from your own childhood? It's still a valid question, but now, it comes with a twist: "Do you know where your kids are — and who they're talking to online?"Social networking sites are the hippest "meet market" around, especially among tweens, teens, and 20-somethings. These sites encourage and allow people to exchange information about themselves, and use blogs, chat rooms, email, or instant messaging to communicate with the world-at-large. But while they can increase a person's circle of friends, they also can increase exposure to people who have less-than-friendly intentions, including sexual predators.

Help Your Kids Socialize Safely Online

OnGuard Online urges parents to talk to their tweens and teens about social networking sites, and offers these tips for using these sites safely:

1. In some circumstances, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and Rule require social networking sites to get parental consent before they collect, maintain, or use personal information from children under age 13.
2. Keep the computer in an open area, like the kitchen or family room, so you can keep an eye on where your kids are online and what they're doing.
3. Use the Internet with your kids. Be open to learning about the technology so you can keep up with them.
4. Talk to your kids about their online habits. If they use social networking sites, tell them why it's important to keep information like their name, Social Security number, address, phone number, and family financial information — like bank or credit card account numbers — to themselves. Remind them that they should not share that information about other people in the family or about their friends, either.
   Your children should be cautious about sharing other information too, like the name of their school, sports teams, clubs, where they work or hang out, or any other information that could be used to identify them or locate them offline.
5. Make sure your kids' screen names don't say too much about them. Explain why it's inappropriate — even dangerous — to use their full name, age, or hometown. Even if your kids think their screen name makes them anonymous, it doesn't take a genius to combine clues to figure out who your kids are and where they can be found.
6. Use privacy settings to restrict who can access and post on your child's website. You may approve of their friends from school, clubs, teams, community groups, or your family being able to view your kids' website, but not strangers from a neighboring town or school.
7. Your kids should post only information that you — and they — are comfortable with others seeing — and knowing. Many people can see their page, including their teachers, the police, acollege admissions officer, or a potential employer.
8. Remind your kids that once they post information online, they can't take it back. Even if they delete the information from a site, older versions exist on other people's computers.
9. Warn your kids about the dangers of flirting with strangers online. Because some people lie online about who they really are, no one ever really knows who they're dealing with.
10. Tell your children to trust their gut if they have suspicions.If they feel threatened by someone or uncomfortable because of something online, they need to tell you and then report it to the police and the social networking site. You could end up preventing someone else from becoming a victim.
11. If you're concerned that your child is engaging in risky online behavior, you can search the blog sites they visit to see what information they're posting. Try searching by their name, nickname, school, hobbies, grade, or area where you live.
12. Check site privacy policies. Some sites may share information like your child's email address with other companies, which could generate spam and even spyware on the family computer. Sites' privacy policies or other posted links for parents also may contain contact information for you to ask about your child's personal information.

3 Ways to Develop Early Learning Habit in Children

With the pressures of education becoming more demanding on older children it is essential that you start to develop early learning habits in your child. The sooner you start to develop these early learning procedures the easier it will be for them to excel at school later on in life. Follow these three tips and you'll be able to see a dramatic improvement in your child's early learning abilities.

1. Create a Study Room: This sounds silly for younger children but it is critical part of their studying process. As your child becomes older, their rooms will gain more toys and gadgets that can continually distract them. The study room should be void of any toys, televisions or computers. It needs to be a place where your child will be able to sit down and concentrate as soon as they enter. It also helps a lot that there will be no distractions in the study room.

2. Create a study habit: It is never too early to start creating a study habit for your child. Even when they are still young and you're going through the basics like colours, shapes and numbers. Make a study habit of having two learning sessions early on during the morning and then two early learning sessions later on in the day. Each session can be from fifteen to twenty minutes. When your child starts going to school and getting homework, you can tell them to start slotting in their work during those times. This way it will become easier for your child to know they need to commit to their studies.

3. Teach your child how to study: One of the best early learning habits you can teach your child is how to study. Make sure that they understand for information to become an integral part of them that they need focus on auditory and visual material. Make them read everything they are learning out loud. Teach them how to draw small mind maps. Start using flashcards so that they can use their visual instincts as well. All of these study habits need to be implemented into their early learning program.

Using these three tips to help improve your child's early learning experience will definitely have a positive effect on them. They will be more confident and knowledgeable about their school experience because they will know how to tackle the work given to them. The sooner you start practice early learning habits with your children the better.

Top Activities in Newyork City for Children

Life is nowadays is full of attractions and various addictions. You need to have some semblance of order in your in child's life. To ensure he is not getting addicted to TV or a computer, there are many options available for you in New York City. New York City has millions of attractions, outdoor activities, gaming stations and much more to enable you to maintain a healthy life for your kids.

Children have a great attraction for horses! Utilize their fascination and change their air by visiting the wonderful & perfect place in New York City---the Forest Park, Queens NY. The park offers many different fun activities such as merry go round, park, baseball field and band shelter.

If you kid is an adventure seeker then take him to a trip of Coney Island. At this marvelous spot in New York City, children explore to their hearts' content and find many sorts of lucrative treasures. New York City has many exciting amusements parks such as the wondrous Astroland Amusement Park. The park has a selection of many daring activities for children such as Arcade rooms having many video games, Cyclone Roller coaster and many more.

New York City has many Arcade Centers, where one can spend quality time playing various games and exercising. Dave and Busters, is a fabulous arcade center having not only exciting games but also offers delicious crumbs. Another great arcade place is ESPN Zone in New York City where you enjoy a mixture of fun & nutritious food with your children.

Another excellent suggestion is of taking your kids to tour an animal shelter. New York City has a plethora of animal shelters where your child can spend time talking with interesting species and satisfy his curiosity about many aspects of animal life. Undertaking such a visit is a great idea, if your child is inclined to keep a pet. At many of these animal shelters, youngster are given useful guidelines about various animals that help kids in choosing the right kind of pet and treat it properly.

For those living in New York City, visiting a Public Library is a very viable option. Most of these libraries also rent DVD's, CD's or books during the week.