UK faces Desperate Shortage of Science and Maths Teachers

More than 100,000 secondary school pupils will be taught maths and science by teachers untrained in the subjects because of a chronic shortage of new recruits, education experts will warn today.

They predict the shortfall in expertise will discourage sixth-formers from studying the disciplines – which have been identified by the Education Secretary Michael Gove as “national strategic priorities” – at A-level.

Research by Professor John Howson of Oxford Brookes University and Datafor Education, which specialises in analysing recruitment trends, has revealed that up to 30 per cent of maths places on PGCE teacher training courses due to start in September remain unfilled, potentially leaving schools 700 recruits short next year. There is a similar problem with physics, where courses have attracted 386 fewer recruits than in 2012, while other key subject areas such as modern foreign languages and English are in a similar position.

Chris Waterman, co-author of the research, said that every missing maths teacher meant 150 secondary school pupils would be taught the subject by a non-specialist, putting 100,000 pupils at risk of receiving their education from someone who has no specialist maths training.

Professor Howson explained that when the jobs market is improving – as it appears to be at present, albeit slowly – potential candidates often turn their backs on the teaching profession.

He said: “The Government got complacent after the recession [in 2010]. Secondary school rolls were falling so we didn’t need so many teachers; we were coming to the end of the high spot of teacher retirements and we had all those people who wanted to come into teaching because there weren’t any others jobs available. The danger, though, was that this wasn’t going to go on.

“We’ve now had successive years when public sector wages have been held down, and regular stories about the problems facing the profession.  No wonder graduates in the Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects are accepting jobs elsewhere. That was always the risk.”

The way in which the top candidates are recruited has also undergone significant change in the past year, with fewer entering teacher training institutions and more being recruited directly by schools.

Professor Howson’s research is based on published recruitment figures for PGCE courses, plus data on the number of teachers recruited directly by schools from the Department for Education’s website.

It shows the number recruited in maths has fallen by 709, physics by 386, design technology by 350, chemistry by 345 and English by 343. English was one of the subjects that over-recruited last year, meaning the 343 shortfall left it just 113 teachers short of its recruitment target for 2012.

By contrast history courses have recruited 75 more candidates in 2013 than the year before, which is 170 more than 2012’s target.  The number of primary school recruits has risen from 20,760 to 23,380, coinciding with a bulge in the birth rate which has meant that the sector needs extra staff.

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We’re very concerned about [the shortage of maths and science recruits]. The sort of feedback we’ve got from our heads is that recruitment directly to schools has been very, very patchy across the country.”

Under the new arrangements, schools can either recruit trainees or take on salaried staff who are aiming to switch careers, but Mr Lightman said the calibre of some of those seeking to switch was “very variable”.

“We’re seeing big gaps in recruitment – particularly in the Stem subjects,” he added.  “It’s a very big cause for concern considering their importance for the future of the economy and it means that some schools have got difficulties in filling places now.

“One would hope much of this would be about teething troubles that can be resolved.” A spokesman for the Department for Education said that new School Direct scheme – under which teachers train on the job – was “proving extremely popular”.

“By May, around 22,500 people had applied for 10,000 places and applications continue to rise,” he said.

“Of course it is right that headteachers are selective and choose only the brightest graduates best suited to their schools.”

Case study: If you haven’t mastered maths, doors close

Carol Vorderman chaired a report on SATs tests for the Education Secretary Michael Gove in 2011

You wouldn’t want me teaching your child PE or music as I’m pretty useless at both and by the same reasoning I guess you wouldn’t want your sons or daughters to be taught maths by their PE teachers. Or music teachers, or whoever.

Maths has to be taught in a very clear way and cannot be fudged. When taught brilliantly, maths is easy and beautiful. With maths you need a deeper understanding. Mathematics is not just any old subject, it is a language, it’s the language of commerce, industry, finance, science, engineering, the internet, communication and all technology. It’s such an important subject that a First World society cannot afford to teach it to any other standard than first class. Understanding it opens so many doors. But equally, if you don’t understand it, doors will slam shut. But the problems in teaching maths lie much deeper than just a shortage of trainees. Part of the problem is that almost all of those people going into primary school training, as shown by Professor Adrian Smith’s 2006 inquiry, gave up maths at 16.

In a report I chaired for Michael Gove, we found that of those children who achieved Level 4 in their SAT tests aged 11 – Level 4 is the government target – just over half went on to achieve their GCSE at grade C or better. Of those who failed to get Level 4, almost all of them failed. In other words, if you are on the mathematical scrapheap by the age of 11, there you are likely to remain. Secondary school is having little effect on the outcome for these children. My concern is that the potential shortage of qualified maths teachers at secondary level can only compound these problems.

But perhaps the biggest problem is our society’s attitude to maths. It is regarded as  “too hard for me” or “geeky”. This is very much a British malaise. We undervalue maths at our peril.

Homeschooling Might Not Be the Answer

Homeschooling can be a wonderful option for people looking for an alternative to traditional school. However, homeschooling is not for everyone and it might not be the right choice in a number of circumstances.

Homeschooling: Requires Time

Homeschooling requires time. Homeschooling is a full time job, and if there is not an adult in the home that can dedicate full time to homeschooling, then homeschooling will be difficult to achieve. Homeschooling becomes a lifestyle, not just an educational choice. Of course, there is the possibility that two adults in the home could share homeschooling responsibilities and also maintain their jobs outside the home but it will require work and dedication.

Some states allow homeschooling by people other than parents, and if you live in one of those states it is possible to employ someone to home educate your children. Homeschooling rules are different in each state, and you should research if your state allows others to home-school your children.

Homeschooling requires a fair of time to plan lessons, and in record keeping. This time is in addition to the actual educational time. While it is not required to participate in field trips, time should be allowed for those also. Every opportunity that can enrich a child’s education should be taken advantage of, but travel and actually participating in field trips does require time. In reality, if you cannot home-school with the idea of providing your child with a better education than he could achieve in traditional school, then perhaps homeschooling is not for your family.

Homeschooling: Responsibility

Homeschooling is a large responsibility. As the homeschooling parent/teacher, you are taking on the responsibility that is normally handed off to a teacher and an entire traditional education system. As the parent/teacher you will be responsible not only for planning the lesson, but for teaching the course work, and grading the course work. You will be responsible for keeping the academic records, and recording progress.

Additional there is the fact that as the parent/teacher you will be required to make sure you and your child are in compliance with state and local education requirements. This responsibility also comes with a time commitment. Research must be done to determine the legal requirements to home-school in your state. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and this is never more true than when determining how to stay legal with your department of education when homeschooling.

Homeschooling: Not all students thrive

Some students actually thrive in the traditional school setting. They need the competition aspect of having other students around them. These students are driven to do their best by having others around them to fuel their climb to the top. Homeschooling might not work for these students because homeschooling, even in a co-op setting is generally aimed at the individual student and does not generally include other students. Even when there are other students in the home, they are usually not in direct competition with each other.

Homeschooling might not be for students who require a lot of special assistance or have special needs. These students might need reading labs, or occupational therapy, or speech therapy. Sometimes it is possible for students with these types of needs to get assistance at a school because of the requirements that public schools provide for these needs.

Schools can sometimes provide this for much lower cost than private therapies because the services are provided for more than one student, or in group settings.

Homeschooling: Everyone on Board

Homeschooling requires a lot of time, responsibility and flexibility. It also goes much more smoothly if the entire family agrees that homeschooling is the right answer for the family. If one parent is for homeschooling and the other is not, then every bump in the road becomes a point of contention. Every setback can become a reason to stop homeschooling.

Homeschooling is individual for each student. Sometimes more than one method must be tried before the right method is found. It becomes necessary for both parents, even the whole family, to understand that setbacks happen, and one setback does not constituted failure. If all members of the family are not in agreement then minor setbacks can be used to declare homeschooling unsuccessful.

Homeschooling might not be for every family, or every child in every family. However, if you have looked through the items mentioned and decided that they do not pose a problem for your family then homeschooling might be for you. There are many positives to homeschooling, but each family should go into homeschooling knowing that it is still not considered mainstream, that there will be obstacles to overcome along the journey, and that it is not for everyone. If you think you can overcome the obstacles listed, then go ahead and consider homeschooling. It just might work for your family.

DU Launches New E-Learning Online Portal

New Delhi: To enable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) based educationin the varsity, Delhi University (DU) has introduced e-classes for its students, which have been uploaded on its online portal.

A one-day workshop on the launch of the e-classes was held recently in which almost 40 teachers from various colleges under the university participated. During the course of the workshop, the teachers present were familiarized about the process of registering on the online portal. 

These teachers would be called DU e-learning portal coordinators and will work as a link between DU's Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL) and DU colleges. 

DU Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental inaugurated the workshop and spoke at length about the importance of ICT in higher education. "ICT is extremely important in higher education and can help in answering many problems that affect the quality of education that is being imparted in the university," he said.

He further added that the e-classes being started by the varsity would help in empowering teachers to handle the teacher-student interactions in an efficient manner.

Calling the initiative to introduce e-classes the most significant feature of the DUonline portal, ILLL Director A.K. Bakshi said that the interactivity aspect of the e-classes is a new feature that will benefit both students as well as teachers. 

He explained that as teachers have only 50-55 minutes to teach per class, several doubts ands questions which students might have remain unanswered. The online e-classes will now enable students to ask and clear their doubts and also to hold healthy online discussions which can continue for as long as the students want.

The e-learning portal started by DU has several interactive media features available free of charge in four sections, viz-a-viz, e-lessons, e-labs, e-quizzes and e-lectures. The newly introduced e-classes would only be available to DU students who have joined the portal by contacting their e-learning portal coordinator. 

The facility to join the portals would also be made available to teachers and students from the postgraduate department.

Advantages of Online Learning

Online training can considerably decrease the cost of travel, helps you to increase consistency and can make updates lot easier then you thought. It has various positives that make it a wonderful asset. However, traditional classroom training methods have their own importance. In the traditional class room training you can personal interact with the trainer, build a healthy networking with other participants, and can make your learning a very entertaining and enjoying. How many times you gone to a website or opened a document and been stunned to see the amount of content and information. Your mind just can’t take that and get turns off immediately. In the next minute, you close the document or quickly move to another page after reading few paragraphs. The reason is that you take too much of stress on your mind by setting up tough goals that can not be meet at the start of online training courses. Choose the topic you enjoy and start with small lessons.

HOW IT IS BENEFICIAL?

1. Affordable Prices – It has been observed that most of the education training courses are often less expensive compare to the regular degree from university or institute. It is something that you can easily afford and make most of it.
2. Choose the Topics That You Enjoy – You are sharpening your skills in a profession you are familiar with. If you did not enjoy your job, you would not want to make yourself more marketable in it. So, you are more likely to be taking classes on things you enjoy learning about. In return, your retention of the topics will be higher. I think this is one of biggest benefits of education training through the internet.
3. Get the Certifications of Training – Most of online education training courses provides certificates or document after completing the training program successfully. These certificates e.g. an Information Technology certification, can be presented to your current employer. Some employers will surely give you good hike because of your enhanced skills. Online education training should be pursued by every single professional out there. Everyone can benefit from sharpening their professional skills. Without continuing your education, you could lose your position, be demoted.

CBSE Solved Question Papers: Now the Battle is in Your Hands

Very true to the heading CBSE solved question papers is definitely a winning weapon in your hands that will assist you to come out with flying colours in your exams. CBSE each year held several milestone exams for the bright future of its registered students. CBSE has its network spread like spider in the Indian Education System with around more than nine thousand schools registering under it in and around India and its number growing day by day. Each year CBSE follows a particular pattern of conducting its exams. With its upper hand in Indian Education System- CBSE score determines the future of a pupil. CBSE solved question papers is a major help to students in this scenario.

More about CBSE

CBSE since its inception in 1952 has always tried its level best to keep its students at par with the World Class Education System and has over the years developed a massive impression not only in India but also in 21 different countries. Indian medical and engineering institutes have worldwide reputation. Indian education system is a mark of excellence. All these add as a feather in the name of CBSE. CBSE conducts several future determining papers in India like 10th board, 12th board, medical and engineering exams to mention few. All these have particular pattern of framing the question papers. Exams create phobia and scariness among students. So to save the pupils from its horrors several CBSE solved question papers are available in market to help out the students.

Details of CBSE Solved Question Papers

CBSE solved question papers are actually several guess papers or helping papers that are especially available in the market to help the students to cop up with these exams. These papers are basically the collection of several previous year CBSE question papers along with their answers. The CBSE solved question papers mostly come subject wise. The CBSE solved question papers also have suggestions regarding the subjects and how to solve these papers. They come not only for board exams of 10th and 12th but also several medical and engineering exams conducted by CBSE. These CBSE solved question papers are a boon for the students registered with CBSE and act as a boat in the flooded river for their successful navigation of their careers to get the best results in examinations. There are several sites in the World Wide Web that will provide you more information regarding this matter.

Online education

How about studying the most difficult concepts in Physics of the luxury of sitting in your cozy room? Sounds interesting! If this entices you enough to try your hand at online education, hold on! You will be happy to know that this is only one of the several benefits of online education. There is a lot that online education has to offer to school students in terms of the quality and quantity of subject specific study content and a host of other related benefits. 

To elucidate on the benefits of online education to all you students in school out there studying under various boards such as CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board, here are a few points.

• The anywhere, anytime factor! Unlike tuition classes which have fixed hours, students can study online anytime, as per their own convenience. All that a student needs is a computer and an internet connection. Once the necessary hardware components are in place, students can start surfing their way through the plethora of information available online. The advantage of round-the-clock availability of interesting study content has indeed made more students get inclined towards this medium in addition to using other conventional study mediums and methods such as books.
• A Student-centric teaching approach! Unlink the regular classroom teaching at schools and tuition centres, the online education follows an approach that is more student-centric rather than being teacher- oriented. Students not only have a say in the timing of their study schedules but are also equipped with the power to decide their own pace of learning. While studying online, students are under no pressure whatsoever to complete their studies within a stipulated time period. Online education is especially a boon for students tend to learn at a pace slower than most others in the class, as they can take as much time to understand and learn a concept well as they wish to. While studying online students need not feel shy in asking questions and wanting to read the said study material over and over again.
• Involvement of multiple media! Studying from simple black and white text is no more a compulsion for students studying under CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Matriculation board. Online education offers a lot of interesting and innovative methods in teaching concepts to these school students. Apart from the regular study material, students can study using videos, animations, multimedia enriched puzzles etc. There are various websites that provide curriculum aligned study content for these boards using multiple media that can make studies very interesting and learning easy.
• Low cost! With very low cost involved, online education will not burn a hole in the pockets of students. Unlike study courses at tuition centers that involve a hefty monthly or a yearly fee, online education is a comparatively low cost affair. Apart from the subscription costs, there is no significant cost involved in studying online. Studying using online education, students can save a lot of money and time that is saved in doing away with unnecessary commuting to and fro schools, colleges, tuition centers etc.

I am positive that all these benefits of online education will help you understand and use this medium better and will also help you with your studies in school.

CBSE notes – A key to secure better marks

There is no one way to study. Some students go through the whole syllabus while preparing for exams while some students choose to just go through the key points. For some scoring good marks in exams is still a dream. The experts recommend preparing notes for each subject as it is an easy way to score high marks in all subjects. There are several good reasons as to ‘why one should prepare notes?’ And the list, believe me goes longer than thought.

For preparing CBSE notes one has to go through the entire chapter to find out the important concepts in the chapter. An exercise like this also helps in finding out the key points in the chapter. One can go through such notes just before the exam as they consist of key points. It makes revision easy and quick. Reading through one’s own notes helps in understanding and it is commonly believed that writing helps to remember better. Listed below are some important points that one should keep in mind before preparing notes.

• Be precise - While preparing notes one should know which points to include as the key points and which to summarize.
• Use visual cues - For some students it is easy to learn concepts with the help of figures, diagram, and flow charts etc. So while preparing CBSE notes one should always follow the style of learning that suits them and makes topics easy to learn. One can also use simple language while making CBSE notes as it makes learning easy.
• Cover all topics - Notes should be prepared in such a manner that it covers each and every topic, starting from the most important ones to the ones that are least important.

Extracting the important studying material should be done after going through the whole chapter. If the CBSE notes are prepared carefully then nothing can come in your way of attempting all the questions and getting good marks. If the CBSE notes are prepared in the correct manner, then a student need not to go through the whole chapter again at the time of revision.

Last minute revision should be avoided as it does not help improve recall but creates confusion. So it is advisable that students do not wait till the last minute to start revising using CBSE notes. All revision should be completed at least an hour before the examination.

Students who wait for the last few days for preparation, usually end up getting confused. It often results in poor recall at the time of attempting the question paper.

The message is clear for all the students. Start preparing your CBSE notes before it is too late. To walk on the path of success, one should follow the above mentioned points. Scoring good marks will no more remain a dream.

How to conquer Maths Anxiety?

Math anxiety is a concern for many students. Some students experience occasional problems in understanding the facts of mathematics while others have deep performance related issues in this subject. Many students all over the world tend to freeze during Maths tests, even if they known the procedure to solve the problems, understand all the formulae, equations and arrive at correct answers. So far it has been observed that fear of maths is the biggest obstacle in the path of learning Maths. 

Learning Maths is just like learning any other subject where true mastery can be achieved through practice. Students can outweigh the fear for the subject if they are honest and brave to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes.

Origin of Maths Anxiety
Maths anxiety generally occurs from a limited understanding of the subject. It also arises as a result of poor teaching that leads to unpleasant experiences. Most of the students who don’t understand the concepts, procedures and rules of the problem but try to memorize it, face the problem of anxiety.

Fear factor for Maths would no longer exist if the students follow few simple tips mentioned below:

Ask for early help:
If students face difficulty in a particular chapter, they can ask for tutorial help. Extra help can provide right boost to overcome Maths anxiety and add to their confidence to perform well in tests.


Cramming should be avoided:
Cramming for exams can often enhance Maths anxiety. So, students are advised to avoid cramming. They are suggested to break their study sessions into small portions. It is also advised to deal with problem areas as quickly as possible. All these would help minimize Math anxiety upto a large extent.


Emphasis on regular practice:
The best way to overcome Maths anxiety is to show a student that he/she can solve it correctly and can derive right answers. For the same, students should regularly practice problems related to their weaker sections. Rigorous practice and meticulous efforts would help the students get rid of their fear of Maths and side-by-side would also promote their conceptual understanding.  More and more practice ahead of an exam would help students identify their problem areas, rectify it and consequently boost self-esteem.

Learn Maths in an innovative way
Students who are tired of practicing problems from boring and mundane books can surely add a punch to their study schedule by practicing Maths from online puzzles, quizzes, graphics and animations. Students can go through various animated videos where problems are explained in a simple language for a complete understanding of concepts. These online study material and videos are available 24*7. Students have complete freedom to access this content at their own convenience.

Ask questions if confused:
Students should start learning Maths with a positive attitude and determination. They shouldn’t settle for anything less during the instruction sessions by tutors or teachers. In case of any confusion, they should ask for clear illustrations, demonstrations and simulations.

Teachers and parents of the students can play an important role to make certain that students understand problems in Maths presented to them without any confusion or ambiguity. They can also encourage them to work hard and get more practice. Once the students realize that they can learn Maths like any of the other subjects, the whole notion that Maths is a ‘tough’ subject and the resultant Maths anxiety can become a thing of the past.

NCERT Questions

A study guide can give answers to the NCERT questions but seldom can it do justice to the length and breadth of the syllabus for a given subject! Students often consider writing the solutions to the NCERT questions as wasteful time-consuming and futile activity. However, a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the NCERT questions and its utility can change their existing notions.

NCERT questions are typically the questions printed at the end of the chapters in the NCERT text books. Sometimes, questions by other private publishers based on the content in the NCERT text books may also be referred to as the NCERT questions. The end-of-chapter NCERT questions are made available in array of formats with the purpose to accelerate students’ pace of conceptual understanding. Therefore, while writing answers to the NCERT questions students should try to attempt all the questions since doing so will help them gain a thorough understanding of all the concepts present in the NCERT textbooks and give them the opportunity to assess their understanding of the said topics.

Apart from the overall understanding of concepts in the chapter, most of the problems that are asked in the CBSE board papers too are either from these end-of-chapter NCERT questions or are based on the topics addressed in them. For subjects such as Social Sciences and for some topics in Science these NCERT questions are hot favourites for the examination paper setters. It has been further observed that for application oriented subjects such as Maths and Physics the questions posed in the CBSE board papers may be loosely based on the NCERT questions–often the core concept being tested remaining the same, with variations in the values therein.. Therefore, all the students out there who are preparing for their class X and class XII CBSE board papers better take these NCERT questions seriously!

Students should essentially start tackling these NCERT questions once they are through with the entire chapter. A thorough understanding of the concepts in the chapter will help students frame conceptually correct and complete answers. If possible students should try to support their answers to these NCERT questions with neat and well labeled illustrations. While writing answers to the NCERT questions, students should also stick to the prescribed word limit.

While attempting these questions, students can seek help from the readymade NCERT solutions booklet. However, students should be cautioned to use the solution booklet as a reference book only. Complete dependence on such readymade material could be detrimental for students learning as it could hinder the ability of students to comprehend text and write answers in their own words. While seeking help from these readymade solutions booklets for NCERT questions, students should look for the following factors: clarity in language, , relevance to the chapter, word limit etc. There are various websites that provide free NCERT solutions to the NCERT questions for classes VI- XII.

So go ahead and use these free NCERT solutions to improve your grades.

Wishing you all the very best for exams!

NCERT Online

NCERT goes online! The NCERT textbooks can now be viewed online. Even a decade back something like this would have been difficult to imagine.

The NCERT was set up way back in 1961 by the Government of India as an autonomous organization to assist and advise the centre and state on policies related to education and help in the implementation of the same. Over the years, the council has increasingly taken on the role of the introducing innovations in the field of education in areas of reforms and curriculum framework.

The NCERT online textbooks have made life easier for a lot of students. The availability of online NCERT textbooks has taken the student-focussed educational initiatives of NCERT to new heights. The NCERT as an organization is not new to initiatives in the area of educational technology.  The Central Institute of Educational Technology set up in 1984 is a constituent organization under NCERT that undertakes several technology-based educational initiatives. The knowledge explosion of the last decade has enabled a situation where the knowledge-base doubles every 2-3 years (source: UNESCO “ICT in Teacher Education”). The Council’s decision to introduce NCERT online textbooks can also be rightfully viewed as a first step towards weaving knowledge in a multi-disciplinary fashion.

With the introduction of online NCERT textbooks the Council has made an effort to make the source of learning more flexible than the traditional ones. The driving force behind a move like this may well be the increasing awareness that knowledge does not come from a central source, but that it actually emanates from all around us. The move to make available online NCERT textbooks is a step that recognizes the huge potential of the internet.

As expected, the NCERT online textbooks are a huge hit with both students and teachers. The students can now easily access the textbooks for all classes from class I to class XII. They are free to read these NCERT textbooks online or download them for free, as they are available in PDF format. Each chapter is available as a separate PDF file and can be opened by clicking on the chapter title in the table of contents. With the textbooks going online, students who were previously likely to use ‘non-availability of textbooks’ as an excuse for their poor performance in schools, now had no one to blame but themselves! So, it was time to dig in their heels and study. That is a good job done by NCERT online textbooks!

Cheers!

Online CBSE Study Materials: Your Study Companion

The technology savvy world surrounding us is changing everyday. In this era, the traditional classrooms with chalks, duster and blackboards have been gradually replaced by online education and virtual class rooms. Online education is the most easy and comfortable way to learn. With an increase in accessibility of internet, online education has become the new education mode for both teachers and students.

In order to keep pace with the new mode of learning, CBSE has launched an online educational system to sort out students’ difficulties. The online study support has been thoroughly researched from CBSE question banks, model papers, research papers, test papers etc. and framed exactly as per CBSE curriculum. Students can now follow the online CBSE tutorials which are convenient for an easy learning process.

Online CBSE study material is a powerful resource that offers a stress free learning experience to learners. It not only ensures an improved conceptual understanding of important topics but also assists the students in scoring good marks in exams. The online CBSE study material is supported with multimedia that includes audio, attractive visuals and animation. These are also supported with relevant power point presentations, graphics and illustrations that are easy to understand, grasp, and remember and thus eventually a big help in scoring great marks in exams.

The multimedia-enriched content helps the students in grasping the concepts more effectively than dull and mundane books. Online education creates a learning environment for a student that is full of energy and excitement. Learners can judge their understanding of concepts by attempting online CBSE practice tests, online sample papers and time bound CBSE model papers. Through these CBSE study materials students can also identify their weaker areas and make these strong through meticulous efforts.

Online CBSE study material is offered by a number of websites. These are present in an easy-to-understand language and can help the students in improving their CBSE exam results. Students can benefit from virtual classes and can save a lot of money and energy that would otherwise be spent on commuting to and fro tuitions. They can also overcome the constraints of a busy lifestyle as the CBSE study material is available online 24*7 and can be accessed anytime anywhere.

CBSE study material is offered with sections that are dedicated to solving queries and are managed and administered by expert professionals round-the-clock. The online CBSE study material help the students prepare an efficient revision schedule. More and more practice help the students manage their speed and complete the questions within the allotted time limit.

If the students follow the online CBSE study material, they can get quality education in a cost effective manner and can surely come out with flying colors in their exams.

How to Create a Positive Learning Environment for Students

Being a teacher is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and fulfilling jobs in the world. And being able to form the minds and bodies of those who are to be the future citizens and leaders of the nation is certainly an encouraging thought. Anyone interested in being able to work in the education field should check out various websites and teacher blogs to get all the necessary information to find information about K-12 teaching.

However, no matter if you are a new or a seasoned teacher, a problem that is becoming more and more common in classrooms all around the globe is that it is becoming harder to get the children's attention and thus, it gets harder for them to actually learn what is being taught to them. This is why, in order to become more effective educators, teachers need to learn how to create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. And here are some tops in order to achieve just that:

• Provide the necessary open space: One of the most important aspects to consider, especially when teaching children, is that they need a lot of open space in order to feel comfortable. This is why every child in the classroom needs some open space where they can enjoy and play, but teachers must make sure that this place is at the same time safe and free from clutter, so as to avoid any accidents.
• Room temperature: Despite what many believe, children have actually higher body temperatures than average adults, so every teacher must make sure to adjust the classroom temperature not to their own liking, but actually a tad lower, so as to provide children with as much comfort as possible.
• Use the right set of classroom decorations: Considering all of these, decorations might not seem as important. However, if implemented right, classroom decorations can be not just extremely effective, but can also be the cheapest learning-improvement method to come along. This is because children are extremely visual by nature, and a decoration set that provides original characters and stories while at the same time following the theme or subject being taught will certainly go a long way in helping them retain the most important information they receive from their teachers.

This of course, does not guarantee that children will learn better, but at the very least guarantees that they will feel happier and more comfortable, which in turn will definitely help their learning process.

Once this ideal environment is achieved, children will be not just more comfortable studying in their classrooms, but they will also become far more productive, since they will be able to concentrate more easily. And as we have seen above, one of the best and most effective and economical ways to accomplish this, is by applying the right set of school classroom decorations.

Jenn Moore - About the Author:

Jennifer Moore is a former teacher with extensive experience in Classroom Curriculum and Instruction. She is a frequent contributor to educational blogs such as The Plan and The Spout.

Home Schooling Advantages Vs. Disadvantages

Home schooling is an option that is becoming more attractive to parents as time goes on. Schools have become increasingly unstable over the past couple of decades. Children roam the hallways unchecked, textbooks are outdated, violence is prevalent, children are bullied mercilessly, and the quality of education on the whole has greatly diminished.

What options do parents have to combat this downward spiral? Initially, private school was thought to be the answer. As enrollment in private schools soared many parents failed to see a difference between public and private schools. The problems were still the same.

The option of home schooling has been around for a long time; however, until recently it had not been so popular. The idea of home schooling seems like a cure-all to many parents due to the advantages this type of education provides over traditional schools. Children who are home schooled can avoid many of the problems schools have become known for. For one, the environment is less threatening. Children can learn without fearing other students, aggressive or nasty teachers, and be under the constant supervision of parents. In addition, home schooling allows parents to dictate the academic course of their children. Home schooling also allows students to proceed at their own speed. If a child is weak at multiplication and division, a parent can focus lessons on those skills in favor of another skill that the child might grasp rather easily.

Home schooling is also advantageous because it keeps children away from other students that may be corruptive forces. There are many students in school who do not value learning. This is not any fault of the schools; however, it is still a painful reality. These students can lead to the destruction of a stable learning environment. Home schooling keeps children focused on learning and not on avoiding social pressures.

It may sound like the perfect option, but there are many disadvantages of home schooling. First of all, home schooled children are usually less socialized. While schools can sometimes be the breeding ground for poor social behaviors, school is also a place where students learn to interact with others and build social skills. It seems a bit like a catch 22.

In addition, another drawback to home schooling could be implementation of an educational plan. Many parents are not qualified as teachers and may not understand what is necessary to ensure a child has access to the proper curriculum.

Finally, another disadvantage to home schooling is the necessity for parents to take full responsibility for their child's education. If you choose to home school your child there is no one for you to blame if your child does poorly. The responsibility falls completely on the parent.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to home schooling. Before you begin a home schooling plan make sure you have evaluated your ability to properly instruct your child and provide a quality learning experience. If you do not think you can handle it, you might as well send your child to school but become more involved with his or her education.

Kris Koonar - About the Author:

If you need more information visit http://www.citizenschool.com to learn about Home Schooling GED and a High School Diploma or if you prefer phone 1-800-736-GRAD (4723) or email studentservices@citizenschool.com. Internet Marketing done by Crackmarketing.com.

CBSE: Effortless Move Towards Improving Results

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is one of the most recognized boards of school education in India. It holds an important place simply because of the endless efforts put forward towards imparting a common education system in a vast country like India. The center has evolved a common standard for all across the country and is trying its level best to help education keep pace with the changing world without compromising on quality.

CBSE results (Central Board of Secondary Education) are declared every year in the last days of May. The CBSE board results are mostly declared in 2-3 phases for class X and XII. These phases are according to the 8 regions of Ajmer, Chennai, Allahabad, Delhi, Guwahati, Punchkula, Patna and Bhubaneshwar. As the dates for result announcement comes nearer, the anxiety level among students also reaches its peak, witnessing more sweaty palms. Not only the students but also even their parents face the same situation. In India, CBSE results are considered extremely vital. Not only does the entire future of the student depends on the marks obtained in these exams but these also help in maintaining the social identity of a student.

So in a way, board exam results prove to be a boon for some while at the same time they might be a curse for others. Afterall, this is the only evaluation system in the world, which echoes in social circuits too.

Keeping in mind the many social beliefs, the changing economic scenario in the country and driven especially with a view to avoid any future supply scarcity, the center has introduced a new grading system to evaluate the Xth CBSE results. This year the board will hold the standardized tests as the ritual goes but will give grades instead of marks. The evaluation will be done on the basis of continuous evaluation of students on a 9-point grading system instead of just one year-end exam. Sounds heaven, isn’t it?

CBSE has also explored a new way to give quality tag to schools, based on their results. The major reason for taking this step is that the affiliated schools come in contact with the Board at the time of initial affiliation, upgradation or renewal of affiliation only. But once the affiliation is complete, there is hardly any quality check on these schools. The only indicators would be CBSE class Xth results and CBSE class XIIth results, which were highlighted by schools individually and differently.

Therefore, an Expert Advisory Committee (EAC) will be constituted by the Board, which will choose agencies to assess and accredit the schools based on the criteria and fees approved by CBSE. In case a school is not satisfied with its assessment, the Board will only act as an appellate body.

The standards for accreditation will be a research-based set of practices and concepts that provides guidance to schools on all aspects of education such as academic, civic and social. The standards will be reviewed and revised periodically, and will include surveys of all member schools, feedback by schools which have undergone an accreditation visit, appraisal, relevant educational literature and in-depth discussions at the Board level.

CBSE’s online study program has also proved to be a miracle for students in the history of Indian education. With these online study materials and instant learning packages, students can study anywhere, anytime. It has made learning so interesting, simpler and convenient. With the help of these online services, students can also improve their CBSE exam results, which is the ultimate goal for any student.

These online study websites dedicated towards promoting CBSE have features like, solved board papers, practice papers, model test papers, online assessment facility and many more options, which can help a student immensely to score better in exams.

All in all, it is an answer to the questions of all those people, preparing for their Xth and XIIth exams, about how to get good results in CBSE exams.

Extramarks - About the Author:

Extramarks brings students, teachers and parents together on a single platform to ensure that a child excels academically. To know more about online education, cbse results, online class, school education support, CBSE, ICSE, e learning and etutorial, log on to www.extramarks.com