Dictionary.com

Were you ever baffled over a word? Well now, with Dictionary.com your worries can come to an end. This easy to use educational software is the largest and most trusted free dictionary on the web for all ages. Dictionary.com has an array of features to offer. It offers audio pronunciation, example sentences, synonyms, word origin and trivia, word of the day, and even word games like crossword solvers. Dictionary.com is sub-divided into specialty dictionaries, which are medical, legal and reverse dictionaries, so it facilitates everyone! There is a thesaurus, encyclopaedia and translator to make your work simple and easier. There are translations for over 50 languages, has features such as mobile options, and can be followed on facebook and twitter. Dictionary.com is an Ask.com service. It is a dependable, user friendly and organized site for teachers, students, older folks, and everyone else interested.

Everything we do at Rosetta Stone revolves around a simple idea: learning a language should be fun, easy and effective.

Learning a new language increases global understanding and Rosetta Stone has a unique approach that has helped thousands of people learn a different language. This is a fun and independent study of a foreign language that helps people not only learn another language but also help connect some people with their roots, help students build their language skills, and to communicate in remote locations. Features such as voice recognition are up to date uses of an educational software that teach you, without you feeling like your being taught. Jennifer Morrison, an actress, says that Rosetta Stone has helped her get closer to her goal to learn a foreign language. Rosetta Stone can be bought online or even in our own local bookstores with an array of choices such as Japanese, Latin, Arabic and so on. You can the the official website at http://www.rosettastone.com/

Math Playground

Math Playground is a phenomenal website for students to learn math. It is a colourful, interactive, and innovating website that targets its users. The extremely fun math games, word problems and logic puzzles are amusing, intelligent and clever. The math videos are an effective approach to help children learn effortlessly. The websites logo is “play with numbers and give your brain a workout.” This is one website your brain won’t get tired of after that “workout”. I strongly recommend this site to teachers, and Miss Colleen King, the creator of Math Playground and teacher herself, shows to be a dedicated and modernized teacher that inspires others to keep stepping out of the box and to venture creative ways for children to learn and develop.
Check out the cool website at http://mathplayground.com/index.html

Sariyah Ghany

Music Education

The history of music may be shocking to some. Today we all listen to music for enjoyment and with deep interests at heart. Some may say music is just for listening purposes, but others may beg to differ.
The history of music was first part of a curriculum. Music investigated simple properties such as vibrations, and music properties were classified by numeric properties. Great philosophers such as Plato espoused the right music for education. During his era (427 B.C.-347B.C.), Plato believed that music of the spheres was the only real music and music for entertainment was vulgar.
Nowadays there are many different genres of music. Some we like more than others, some used for traditions and others we create with our own flair. At the end of the day, music should be part of a school’s curriculum to enhance any child’s ability, expose them to different cultures, and most importantly to have fun.

Sariyah Ghany

Beliefs about Teaching

The role of a teacher is to instruct activities that will impart knowledge or skills within students. “Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty”- Albert Einstein. There are many philosophies for a good teacher, however, a good teacher must comprise of many valuable characteristics to impart substance in any person’s life.
Teachers should possess confidence in themselves with the intention that students will in return possess confidence in them. A confident teacher will have pride and indulge in their passion with an intense desire to fancy the profession. You must like what you do or to perceive teaching as a valuable gift, as explained in Einstein’s philosophy of a good teacher. Once a teacher acquires these qualities, they would be able to give and receive support from students.
As you would expect, teachers must also be patient, this being a key principle for one who chooses to pursue teaching. Not every student is the same, but all are uniquely different and would convey many challenges in a classroom. It is however up to the teacher to make rationale decisions for their approach on any given situation. An accepted way for a teacher to be able to develop their technique is by being a Reflective Practitioner. Looking back and improving a method only proves that the teacher shows a good interest in their student’s personal development as well as their own. This shows understanding and dedication and in the long run can only be seen as positive characteristics for nourishing minds. “Teaching is the highest form of understanding”-Aristotle.
Prospective teachers must have the right motives to teach. They must expect and want a new challenge everyday, and be aware that they help to build the foundations of future generations, making teachers a fundamental contribution to society.

Sariyah Ghany