Reducing the Administrative Burden for Further Education Colleges
February 28, 2010
The introduction of the Government’s Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in September 2004 meant that more young people from poorer backgrounds could afford to stay on in further education instead of being forced to find work.
But the scheme brought with it an extra administrative burden for further education (FE) colleges. They now have to manage enrolment in the scheme, monitor attendance and notify the Assessment and Payment Body of their decisions to pay EMA students, or not pay, where applicable.
It is estimated that about half of all 16-year-olds studying in England qualify for the EMA. To receive the allowance, students must attend at least 12 hours of supervised further education courses each week. Payments are £10, £20 or £30 each week, depending on the income of the household. Students may also receive bonuses depending on the progress they make.
Attendance Management
Because attendance is a key factor in making payment decisions, FE college administrators need an accurate and efficient means of monitoring and recording this activity.
A system is therefore needed that gives FE college administrative staff the flexibility to choose the data capture methods that best suit their specific requirements. The software applied to control this document management needed to adapt to paper registers, direct data entry and remote entry using Web registers.
A Helping Hand for Teachers
February 28, 2010
A Helping Hand for Teachers
by: Detra Davis
There is no secret that volunteering activities at the school level enable families to share their time and talents to support the school, teachers, and students. It matters not if volunteers are working at the school, in the classroom or in the community, they are essential to promoting parent involvement and student achievement.
It’s no secret that some teachers can be territorial when it comes to letting someone into their classroom or accepting assistance from individuals not employed by the school district. Sometimes it is easier to just do everything alone or ask family or friends to help out on weekends or after school hours. What would happen however if a teacher took a chance and decided to consider working with one or two committed volunteers?
A Good Preschool Idea
February 27, 2010
The successful preschool idea behind many successful preschool learning centers is thorough all round planning and well-chosen staff members. Any preschool idea that does not begin with sound financial planning and in-depth budgeting knowledge will probably fail.
Profits from running a preschool learning center are usually only seen after a year or more of your preschool idea becoming operational. Difficult times might arise and you need enough money to carry your preschool learning business through with minimal stress. Once you have researched state licensing and taxation and have put your preschool idea into motion, there are many other considerations which are equally important parts of the whole preschool idea.
To begin with, the staff members are a strong force behind any preschool idea and they must be chosen with great care. Many of the staff will be in daily contact with the children at your preschool learning center and they should certainly share your preschool idea and vision where possible.
From the inception of your preschool idea, you should make job descriptions and employee benefits clear while telling staff exactly what their jobs will entail at your preschool learning center. Encourage honest discussion about your preschool idea with all staff members. They will carry out your preschool idea and this will ensure good communication at your preschool learning center.
A Baby Shower Cake is the Highlight of the Baby Shower
February 26, 2010
When you’re holding a baby shower one of the most important items that you’ll serve is the baby shower cake. Cakes should be the highlight of the food lineup and should be served with a selection of desserts, finger food and cookies. Cakes can come in all shapes and sizes, including baby cakes, diaper cakes and bootie baby cakes.
When you’re planning what type of cakes to prepare for the baby shower you’ll find many babyshower cake cookbooks from which to make your selection. If you know the baby is a girl you can decorate the cake in a pink style. The same goes if the baby is a boy, in which case you’ll want to focus on blue or green colors.
Baby shower cakes can be either one large cake, or you can make several smaller individual cakes which can be created for each guest that is invited.
The main focus of cakes is of course the expectant mother. Baby cakes make a great centerpiece that will bring a smile to any expectant mother. Diaper cakes also continue to be popular and are easy to make and assemble.
Valuable Parenting Tip
February 25, 2010
Very often, new parents rely on a parenting tip or two which is passed to them by their own folks, who are now grandparents and usually have plenty of reliable advice to share. If this sort of parenting tip and advice is not available however, new parents could run into all sorts of problems while trying to raise a healthy baby.
Attending a few lessons at a parenting class where valuable knowledge and all kinds of parenting tips are passed along and shared could rectify this lack of basic skills. New parents who don’t have a readily available source of the parenting tip or guidance could also research books on the subject of parenting, which are full of knowledge and feature many a tried-and-tested parenting tip. The resulting knowledge, discussion and available parenting tips will help new parents to understand and better cope with the demands of child rearing.
The arrival of a newborn baby can be a truly joyous occasion for all concerned and attending a parenting class for new parents could enhance this happiness. However, if the parents have no prior knowledge of child rearing or a parenting tip, this joy could turn to anger and frustration as the weeks pass by.
Homeschooling — A Superior Education For Your Child
February 24, 2010
Home-schooling provides children with a superior education. Parents can quickly teach most kids the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic using excellent, creative, learn-to-read, or learn-math books, programs, or computer learning software. Once children become proficient readers, they can then study subjects they love in greater depth. If a child needs help on a special subject, parents can occasionally call in a tutor.
Many studies confirm that home-schooled kids learn more, learn better, and learn faster than public-school children. Christopher J. Klicka, author of “The Right Choice: Homeschooling,” cites a nationwide study of more than 2,163 home-schooling families conducted in 1990 by the National Home Education Research Institute:
"The study found the average scores of the home school students were at or above the 80th percentile in all categories. This means that the homeschoolers scored, on the average, higher than 80 percent of the students in the nation. The home schooler’s national percentile mean was 84 for reading, 80 for language, 81 for math, 84 for science, and 83 for social studies.”
Help My Preteen/Teenager is Driving Me Nuts!
February 23, 2010
Do you feel like someone has abducted your sweet, innocent child and replaced them with a monster? Are you confused that somehow you have gone from knowing everything as a parent, to knowing absolutely nothing? Welcome to being a parent of a preteen/teenager. It is a brave new world. Being a preteen/teenager is difficult and being a parent of one is difficult as well. In this article, I will address just a few of the many "normal" aspects of adolescence and how to survive as a parent.
Are You Reading to Your Kids?
February 23, 2010
Over a number of years there have been issues raised concerning the literacy levels of eight year old children in schools. The number not meeting minimum literacy levels was almost at 30% only a few years ago. It has since improved but is still a concern to teachers and parents alike.
It seems the desire for consumer goods and pressure for both parents to maintain employment is robbing our next generation of the precious time spent nuturing them with stories and preparing them for school. Reading only three stories a day to preschool children would probably have them excelling once they reached school age and almost wipe out the issue of illiteracy in our schools in years to come.
Children who are read to as a part of their everyday life understand the simplest aspects of reading. Concepts like reading from left to right, that text and pictures are different, and how stories evolve, that they have a beginning, middle and ending.
There are other benefits, many of them occurring on a social level. Children and parents who read stories together have valuable bonding time. The story itself may help children to address fears or concerns they may have which can be discussed. The book itself acts as a platform for further enquiry and imagination for the child. This aids in self-expression, vocabulary and the ability to concentrate for given lengths of time.
Parent Education - An Underrated Initiative
February 22, 2010
Parent Education - An Underrated Initiative
by: Detra Davis
There’s an old saying that goes a bit like this, “If I knew better, I would do better.” Today parents are grappling with issues that no generation has experienced before. No one could have foreseen the effect television and computers have had on our society. Children are being exposed to everything, whether they are ready to understand it or not. There is a profound helplessness in the eyes of many parents as they desperately attempt to shield their children from the vile reality of life.
Of course all the abductions, murder, alcohol, drug abuse and abandonment existed years ago, but because our communication practices were so primitive, you fortunately or unfortunately did not have the opportunity to learn about every little detail of the event.
It is impossible to live in a cocoon and even if you could, the technology savvy communication conglomerates would find a way to beam information into your secluded little dwelling.
Parents must learn better ways of communicating with their children and providing them with information before it is obtained outside the home. This can only occur if this country takes a serious look at making parent education a priority. Parents must take a more active role in the ever changing dynamics associated with parenting.
Baby Shower for Mom and the Ladies
February 21, 2010
Baby Shower for Moms who just wanna have fun! This type of baby shower is not the only type of shower given today. Traditionally, baby showers have been thrown for mommy-to-be and the guest list was strictly women.
These days, many families choose to have different types of showers, including back-yard barbecues to include the men. These are a nice idea since they remember that Daddy is a part of the new baby’s life, too.
But there is something to be said for a Sunday afternoon gathering of women to ooh and aah over Mommy’s belly without disparaging looks from the men. One reason to plan a baby shower for mom only.
When you have only women at the shower, you have the opportunity to really “girl it up”, so to speak, at your baby shower for Mom. You can do really girlie things and not have to worry about the men being bored or embarrassed.
Here are a few suggestions for making a shower extra-girlish: Have Tea and Cake. Find a few really pretty tea sets and order little delectables like petit fours, tea cakes or maybe bring a cookie basket. Drink your tea like ladies, with pinky finger sticking up!
