Control or Ownership

For over a century, the industrial model of education did a fantastic job of preparing students for careers.  Those careers are no longer relevant in todays rapidly changing world.  With obvious remnants of this system still in place, new changes are being pushed through under the guise of education reform. Instead of preparing students for an industrialized world the education system is now being tasked with preparing all learners to be college and career ready in order to compete globally with their peers.

Image credit: http://neatoday.org/2011/05/19/beware-pro-charter-parent-groups/

The education system is still not changing at all and is totally based on control and compliance.  The failed legacy of NCLB should provide a stark reminder that pummeling students with standardized tests will not achieve the desired outcome.  So again our education system is in a pickle consisting of an outdated model and the pressure to prepare students for an absurd amount of testing days throughout the school year.  The world does not rest on standardized tests.  Success now lies in ones ability to create solutions to problems, collaborate with peers to meet a goal, communicate effectively, and develop unique ideas that can change things for the better.

Unfortunately the powers that be are ultimately stripping the autonomy away from educators and schools, something that has defined our country for decades.  Even with an outdated model, we have still found ways to provide innovative pathways to unleash a passion for learning among our students. Control, as bad as it is in our system, has been a challenge that some have chosen to overcome.  In the face of adversity, educators have strived to overcome it to benefit our most precious resource - students. However, the current rhetoric and testing blitz that is upon us seeks to not only undermine what makes education special, but to control us to a point that will break the morale of many if it hasnt already.  This control will be the demise of our education system.

Up to this point I have ranted about control at the federal and state level and the dramatic impact it has, and will continue to have, on education if we dont change course.  There is another type of control that we need to acknowledge that is prevalent in virtually every school in the world.  This is the control fostered by administration and teachers as to how learning should, and will, be structured.  This hits home for me on many fronts, as I was guilty of this years ago.  We are often our own worst enemies as we work hard to control what students can do in school or classrooms.  This stems from the fact that we dont want to give up control. Compliancy has worked for so long, and quite frankly we dont trust students or even our own teachers.  What we dont know and understand we fear.  So we react by trying to control every facet of school structure, function, and learning. This was me for many years, but thankfully I changed and I think my school bas benefited.

Image credit: http://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/10-questions-learners-shouldnt-ask/

The motivation from this post came from a recent presentation I did on digital learning.  The whole premise behind this concept it to provide relevancy, meaning, and authenticity in the teaching and learning process.  It hinges upon our ability to provide an environment and activities that unleash our students passion for learning and allows them to create artifacts of learning with the tools of their choice to demonstrate conceptual mastery.  Additionally, it relies on a bold vision to grant students and educators the autonomy to take risks, learn from failure, and then adapt as needed.  This is where we have seen a significant shift from a control to ownership of learning.  Students are now able to demonstrate learning transparently for an authentic audience, allowing them to have a choice as to the device and/or tool to demonstrate and apply what they have learned.  Teachers are being empowered and embracing digital learning methodologies to improve professional practice. Meaningful change will only happen if we begin to give up control and establish a culture built on trust and respect.

In the end students have taken ownership of their learning.  As we continue to see the positive impacts of the changes we have willingly made, I wonder if those who are not in schools will take a second and truly reflect upon what their reform decisions are doing to schools, educators, and kids.  I also hope that those who block social media, ban students’ devices, and mandate Common Core scripts understand that these decisions are destroying a love for learning.  Digital learning in its many forms could be one such catalyst to put education on a better path.  If we truly want to prepare the next generation of thinkers, doers, inventors, and change agents we must give up control, trust students and educators, and work to develop a better system that will produce desired outcomes.

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Create a calendar event or contact directly from email

An invite to a can’t-miss event just landed in your inbox, and you want to mark it in your iPhone’s calendar before you forget—and while you’re at it, you’d like to add the sender’s name to your address book.
Well, good news: you’re just a few taps away from saving the date in your iPhone’s (or iPad’s) Calendar app, or from creating a new entry in your Contacts app—all directly from the original email message.
Here’s how…

Create a calendar event from email

• Open the email, look for the date and time (which should already be highlighted in blue by your iPhone), tap it, then tap the “Create Event” button from the slide-up window. Once you do, an “Add Event” window will appear with the salient details already filled in.

Once you tap the “Create Event” button, an “Add Event” screen will appear with the salient details already filled in.


• Go ahead and edit the new event or add more information (such as a location or a reminder), then tap the “Done” button. You’re all set!
• You can also tap “Show in Calendar” to see if you’re free during that time slot, or “Copy” to copy the date and time to the iPhone’s virtual clipboard.

Create a contact

• Go to the top of the email, tap the name you’d like to save in the “From:” field, and then tap the “Create New Contact” button.
• A new contact form will appear with the name and email fields completed. Edit or add more details as you see fit, then tap the “Done” button.

Create a calendar event or contact directly from email

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How to Add Your Favorite Folder or Program to My Computer in Windows 7 and 8

Would you like to have that favorite folder or program that you use all the time listed in Computer along with all your drives so it is really easy to access? Computer is not a regular folder so you can’t just drop a shortcut there the usual way. But there is a quick way to get a shortcut listed in Computer and here’s how.

Windows 7

1. Open the Start search box
2. Enter:  %appdata%
3. The hidden folder “Roaming” will open
4. Navigate to the subfolder MicrosoftWindowsNetwork Shortcuts
5. Place a shortcut there to the desired folder or program

Windows 8

1. Open the Run box with the keyboard shortcut Winkey+R
2. Enter:  %appdata%
3. The hidden folder “Roaming” will open
4. Navigate to the subfolder MicrosoftWindowsNetwork Shortcuts
5. Place a shortcut there to the desired folder or program

That’s it. Open Computer and you will see your shortcut listed as a Network Location.
source gizmo
How to Add Your Favorite Folder or Program to (My) Computer in Windows 7 and 8

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Learn or Improve Your Typing Skills with Award Winning Typing Tutor Software

We are very grateful that the editors at CNET recently took the time to review NCH Softwares KeyBlaze Typing Tutor Software. They wrote a very nice review and awarded our free learn to type software with a full 5 out of 5 stars, saying:

"KeyBlaze Free Typing Tutor from NCH Software can help you learn touch-typing or practice your skills. It offers basic lessons, drills, and speed tests suitable for typists ranging from absolute beginners to keyboard jockeys. Its easy to use and effective, too. KeyBlaze is great for beginners, and has more to offer to those who already know how to type. The lessons are easy to understand, getting progressively more difficult to master, and effective, with immediate feedback that helps users quickly overcome bad habits."

– CNET

You can read the complete review of KeyBlaze Typing Tutor on download.com, or download it now to start improving your typing skills right away.

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personal expense or business expense which can deduct income tax

General Principal says that amount you spend for personal or family reasons are not deductible business expenses. However, if you are doing business from home or have a family business, there are expenses which are both in the nature of personal expenses and also business expenses.

The Indian Income Tax Provision allows deduction of these expenses, primarily in the nature of business, in other words, expenses which enable the business to sustain and grow.

Businesses can leverage by claiming these expenses for business, resulting in legitimate tax planning, however, the distinction may be difficult to make. The best methodology to find out whether a particular expense qualifies as a business expense rather than a personal one, ask yourself whether you would still have to incur the expense, if you don’t run the business?

Now, let’s deliberate on some of these expenses that intersect both personal and business expenses –

Rent, Interest, depreciation, etc. – for Home Business

If you have a small business and use a portion in your home for such business, whether it is a room, a portion of the room, a garage, a storage room, the expenses incurred for such area can be claimed as business expenses. The expenses incurred may include rent, interest, repairs, utilities and depreciation. These expenses can be claimed according to the portion of usage of home for business purpose. Further, if you have a house keeper for cleaning and maintenance of the house (including the area of business at home), the expenses for such service can also be shown as business expense accordingly.

Fuel, Repairs, etc. – Personal Car used in Business

If you use your personal car exclusively for business purpose then you can claim the expenses incurred for fuel, repairs & maintenance, insurance, registration, depreciation as business expenses. Further, if you use it partly for business and partly for personal then you can claim an estimated expenses incurred for business purpose.

If you are an employer and you make re-imbursement to your employee for the use of his vehicle for business, is can also be shown as business expenses.

Travel Expenses

Most people are in the business wherein they have to travel a lot, whether it is within the state, outside the state or outside the country. Such expenses may include travel fare (car hire, air fare, rail fare, bus fare, and taxi fare), accommodation expenses, food expenses and business activity expenses. These expenses can be shown as business expenses to the extent it is incurred for business purpose.

Mobile Expenses

Every business makes a use of phone for communication purpose. Mobile and landlines are often used to communicate between clients, customers or business associates. This expense can also be shown as business expenses. Further, there may be cases wherein mobile is used for business as well as personal purpose. In such case an estimated amount can be shown as business expense.

Entertainment Expenses

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So is the case in business. To improve productivity, motivation, efficiency, team spirit among the employees most of the business organizations have arrangements for entertainments. Such entertainment may include indoor games, In-house party, food & drinks, movies, etc. These are very helpful for the growth of the business and for maintaining a better and healthy environment within the organization. These expenses also form a part of business expense as it is incurred for the benefit of the business. Further, expenses incurred for the maintenance ofgreenery or a better infrastructure can also be shown as business expense.

Web Expenses

Internet is widely used in business organization especially in case of IT organization wherein the whole business is based on internet. People use it for accessing mails, research and development, web hosting, maintenance of website, etc. Such expenses can be included as business expense. In home business internet is used for personal as well as business purpose. In such case expenses can be claimed accordingly.

Credit Card Expenses

There are expenses, such as hosting charges, web-applications, travel expenses, for which payment is made from personal credit card of the entrepreneurs. There should a proper allocation of those expenses between personal and businesses, and expenses related to the business can be claimed to lower taxes.

Conclusion

You should never shy away from taking a deduction you are legally entitled to claim. However, at times these deductions are subject matter of litigation with the Indian Tax department, IT department being very skeptical about these expenses in the absence clear set of governing rules in this regard.

Thus, it is essential for businesses to have a basis for claiming these expenses fully backed with meticulous records.

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