Creating the Best Math and Science Educational Experiences for Youth

In the almost 15 years since I’ve graduated from high school I’ve notice the major changes in how children are educated. I feel like I’m not old enough to be say when I was a kid things were different, but I’m saying that on a regular basis. When I was a child, parents and educators seemed to work together more to provide a quality education for children. There were learning experiences both at home and in school. I have memories of conducting science experiments both at home and in school as early as elementary school. However, I am realizing that kids today don’t have the same opportunity that I did during my K-12 education.

All students don’t have an equal opportunity to have a great science educational experience. I have been spending time in schools and am realizing that kids aren’t engaged in enough hands on science or science that is relevant to them that make them interested in science. I was having a conversation with a 5th grader and he was talking about what he learned in science class that day. What they learned bored me to death, they were talking about a scientist that is dead and technology that is obsolete. I know that science history is an important part of science, but kids should be learning something that is relevant and current and about scientists that are alive today. But thing that I was grateful was that at least this student was learning science. I’m always curious how the state science and mathematics standards are chosen. Is the curriculum team made up of a diversity of math and science educators and professionals? Do they select the material based that provide the students with a strong foundation as well as engage them in the subjects? Do they select a curriculum that all school districts will be able to implement, including those districts and schools with limited resources? Do they consider if the curriculum is academically preparing them for post secondary education and pursuing careers in these subjects? I believe that a strong curriculum should include all these elements to ensure the academic success of our children in math and science.

In addition, most state curriculum the core subjects are language arts, math, social studies and science. However the priority of instructional time in our schools, especially in elementary school isn’t always focused on equal preparation in all subject areas. There are studies that show that elementary students don’t always get an adequate amount of science as a part of their curriculum. There are various reasons for this; the main reason is that not enough resources are put into science education because science is rarely on the standardized test that has become a critical part of education. Another reason is not all elementary teachers feel comfortable enough to teach their students science. With elementary school being the foundation for learning in all subject areas, if there is no strong foundation for science how will kids excel when they go to middle and high school. This doesn’t create an environment for our kids to excel in science, let alone pursue careers in these fields.

In order for us to provide the best educational experience for our youth, we must hold the educational system accountable for ensuring that all subject areas have equal instructional time. We shouldn’t give more subject areas more instructional time simply because our students will be tested in those subjects. The best way we can hold them in accountable is to build a relationship with the educational system at all levels; the individual schools, school district and state department of education. We want to make sure that our children are academically prepared to enter the future workforce, which will be an educated workforce.

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Internet Home Based Business – Four Ways To Accelerate Your Online Business

If you are involved in your own Internet home based business and are looking for a way to build your success as fast as possible, then look no further, because the following four tips are four of the best ways to not only speed up your success-rate, but they are excellent for your personal growth as an online home based business owner.

The following four techniques will help you to achieve faster success in your online home based business:

#1 – Get your name in front of as many people as possible

If you want to build a successful business, you have to get your business name and your name in front of as many people as possible. Do whatever it takes to get this job done, whether it be writing hundreds of articles, posting to plenty of popular blogs, or creating videos and submitting them to YouTube, whatever you choose to do be sure to do it on a large scale. See what works for you and dive in at full-force, which will ensure the best results.

#2 – Write as many articles related to your niche as possible

Articles are not only a great way to get your name out there, but they are a great way to pre-sell your reader on your expertise. One of the most important aspects of running a business is proving to your potential customer that you do in fact have what it takes to help them, and when you write quality articles that provide the reader with helpful information, you pre-sell them and let them know that you are worth their time investment.

#3 – Ask every new customer added to your list for help

A great way to speed up your progress is to ask each new subscriber to your autoresponder list exactly what their goals are, what has held them back from achieving them in the past, and what you can provide them that will help them overcome their problems. When you do this, you get plenty of good ideas of what your target-audience wants, and this will prepare you in the future when someone tells you they need the same type of help. All you will have to do is tell them about your product and let them know that it can help them out. It’s really that simple, and this is a great technique for speeding up your progress.

#4 – Give your prospects plenty of free help

So you are building your list and nobody’s buying from you? Don’t worry, keep helping people out with as much information as you can provide them, and eventually your efforts will be worth it. You can’t expect money overnight, you have to build the business first, and providing free help is a part of this process. It will eventually pay you back in the form of paying customers.

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7 Benefits of an Online Home Based Business

With the downward turn on the economy, many individuals who felt good about life in general are now looking for ways to secure their future for themselves and their family. Certain individuals are looking for a lifestyle in which they have absolute freedom to do whatever they want at anytime they so desire.If you are thinking of getting out of the rat race, taking control of your life and living the life of your dreams, whether it be at the beach, going skiing, skydiving or traveling the world, what vehicle would you use to get you your hearts desire? More and more people are turning to the Internet for the answer. If you are not sure of how great the benefits would be once you became an entrepreneur, take a look at the 7 benefits below to see if a home-based business online, is the right decision for you.1) Freedom…Think about this for a minute….. You do not need to wake up to the alarm clock buzzer. You can wake up, stroll/commute to your office (no rush hour traffic) and start your day. You can also work in your back yard, your car, at the beach, traveling the world,.. get the picture?2) Professional growth.You are in complete control of your day and productivity. You can focus with massive action and not waste time in numerous office meetings. You also get to use your other skills, marketing, management, accounting, people, sales, computer and many other opportunities. Increase your value to the world and give back to your community in consultations, education, etc.3) Less stress.Working from home will reduce work related stress from the boss, colleagues and office politics. If you feel like you need to take a rest, take a break and relax for a few minutes, then get back to work!4) Family time.Every parent wants to spend more time with their child/(ren) and because of the flexibility of a home-based business online; you can fill in easily if they are sick and have to stay home from school.5) Keep the money you make.You now have an opportunity to triple your income. You are in control. The harder you work the more money you make. So there is no need to hang around the office waiting for promotions. Save money also on gas and food.6) Less Risk.The start up costs of your home-based business online will be so much less working from home, with no office space to rent, no insurance, no payroll etc…7) Taxes.There are a number of advantages of having your home-based online business under the same roof. Deduct a part of your home’s operating and depreciation expenses on your home as a business expense. This can be a percentage of your mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and/or the expenses of household maintenance. Talk to your CPA to get more details and advice and keep more of your hard earned income.

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Starting a Legitimate Home Based Business

Anybody can start a small, small business by just rooting through their garage to find some collectibles, and then posting those items on an auction site. This is a good way to make a little extra money, and do it sort of “under the radar”, where you’re not really running a business so much as just supplementing your income on the side. But, if you want to build a real business, if you want to make a living on it, if you want to be financially independent, you need to build a legitimate home based business.There really is a big difference between making some extra money on the side, and building a real business that you can use to build real wealth. Maybe, just maybe, you can JUST squeak by selling some stuff on auction sites and making sure you’re not making enough to interest the IRS, but it’s not a safe bet. If you want to make a living with your own business, there are three things you need to learn…Liability and LegalityYou need to know everything there is to know about liability and legality in relation to small (and large) businesses. You need to know what sort of licenses and permits you’ll need based on how much money and inventory you’re moving around or based on what sort of services you’re offering. You need to know all about legality and liability in terms of what’s legal in what state. Maybe you sell exotic fantasy weapons, well, that’s not legal in every state, so do your research.TaxationYou’re going to be paying business tax, sales tax, and self employment tax, and those are just the taxes you KNOW you’re going to have to pay. That might not be all there is to it. Depending on what you’re selling, you may have to pay a broad range of other taxes as well. As a general rule of thumb: If you’re making enough to pay for your groceries with your business income alone, you can’t fly under the tax radar any longer.ExpansionWhenever you take the next step, take it carefully. Every single move towards expansion will need to be coupled with a whole new gauntlet of reeducation, research and paperwork. Nobody said it was easy. But, it CAN be easy once you get the education you need in order to do everything on the up and up. In the internet age, the big investment you make in your small business isn’t money, but time.One Final ThingYou should probably take a moment to consider actually learning how business works in a real, academic setting… Now, this doesn’t mean going and getting a bachelor’s degree after several years in a business academy, but you might want to consider getting some guidance through an online course or a seminar in driving distance. Just be on the lookout for scams. Basic rule of thumb here: If they promise you’ll get rich quick, you won’t. If they promise you can become financially independent through lots of hard work and smart investing, you will.Find out about the benefits and advantages of starting your own home based business today! When you begin your legitimate home based business you will start generating an income quickly!

Staying Focused on Your Home Based Business

Many have been said about how good it is to have a home based business. The advantages and benefits of having a home based business can really be overwhelming and tempting. However, like the old saying goes, “nothing is black and white” and “it’s all shades of grey”, home based businesses also pose some disadvantages and sad to say, many of those who ventured into home based business fall into the pitfall of distractions, separating home tasks and business tasks, isolation, endless work, and lack of self discipline. Nevertheless, these must not be a reason for you to change your mind especially now that you have already taken the first step to this very rewarding business. It is just important that you know how to get yourself ready for whatever you’ll be facing on this business. So to help you in this venture, here are 5 useful tips on staying focused on your home based business. Happy reading!1. Break Large Tasks into PiecesHome based businesses often involve large tasks and projects to handle. This seems overwhelming so it is always easier and helpful to break these large tasks down into smaller components. You will find it easier to focus more because you will not feel so overwhelmed. For instance, your home based business is more on writing for clients and you were given a bulk order of 100 articles due in a week’s time. Instead of always thinking how to complete the 100 articles in a week’s time, why don’t you think of completing 20 each day?2. Be Organized – Keep a “to do” listOnce you have divided the large tasks into smaller ones, it’s time to do some planning and organization and note the plan down on your “to do” list. Using the same example given above, you can decide to do research first thing in the morning, building up ideas for your articles, then finally writing and forming these ideas into a complete article.3. Schedule your TimeSchedule is very important when you have a home based business. Before you end your day, make sure to note down your schedule for the next day, giving emphasis on what you really have to accomplish.4. Set your GoalsYour goals are perhaps the best way to keep you focused on your home based business. Visualize what you actually want your business to become in a week, in a month, six months, a year, two years, and so on. How much profit would you want to have in a month’s time? How many clients are you targeting to win next month?5. Say Yes When You Can and No When You Can’tYou’ve got to be assertive and learn how to carve out your time for your projects. Assess yourself, how many more can you do? If you think the project being offered can still be done on a timely manner without compromising quality, say YES; however, if it’s beyond what you can handle, never hesitate to say NO and explain to your client why you can’t handle this task. Who knows, you might be able to negotiate on time.Having your own home based business is not at all bed of roses. There are some things that you have to go through to successfully overcome the challenges of having one. Of course, like any endeavor, you have to understand that the odds may be stacked against you but if you are really determined to succeed and if you play your cards right, you will definitely love your new home based business!

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Home Based Business – How About Giving Affiliate Marketing a Try As a Home Business?

If you want to go into business for yourself, try affiliate marketing as a home based business idea. Having a business from home will give you more money for your family to survive on and pull you ahead of the tough times. Use your home based business so you can earn extra money when you need it and saving up for the important things, like a car, house or paying off your credit card debt. Try out these affiliate marketing business ideas.One of the best ways to start this affiliate marketing venture is using ClickBank. You will be amazed at the products and services you can sell without ever touching them because you don’t have any inventory. ClickBank fulfills the product order.You simply to need sign up or register to start your ClickBank account as a business you operate from home. Then, take a look around and see what you would like to sell. Read each person’s rules on selling the products and how much commission you can make selling their product for them.Agree with one or more people to sell their products and you will be provided links. To have a home based business usually you need a website to advertise and sell your products. But, you do not own the products. So, start a blog and have it designed as a niche market site that provides information closely related to the products you are trying to market.Maybe you like fishing. Talk about your passion about fishing as a home based business idea. Go with ideas you know. One day talk about fishing lures and provide your affiliate link about this great lure you have tried and they need to try it to. Boom! Your reader has just turned into a potential customer as they are clicking the link and finding out more about the product. They like it, they buy it, and you just made money in your home based business!You can also hit free classified ads and create a title and a few lines about your product. Often, the companies will give you text ads you can use. Some companies are strict about what you can say. When placing your ad on your affiliate product, just put in a link at the bottom so they can click to receive more information. Bam! Just received another sale!Besides Click Bank, there are numerous companies you can go to directly and start a home based business on the side. While building money up from your business from home, you can still work the same job as you do now.Just get very creative ideas and you can soon have more than one home based business affiliate marketing opportunities going all at once.

Finding Affordable Home Based Business Opportunities

Given the state of our economy everyday thousands of people are looking for a business opportunity they can affordably run from their home to either replace a lost income or to make sure they have enough money to live comfortably. Here’s some food for thought and a few ideas for you to think about for your business that you would like to run from home.Affordable Home Based Business Opportunities – Honest ObservationsAffordable business opportunities that can be run from home allow a person to try (test) a new system or program, without having to spend a ton of cash. Even though it would be wonderful if all of the business opportunities that you could run from home were immediately successful; the truth is, it doesn’t always work out that way.In fact, most don’t turn out to be a good fit without at least some experience. Some efforts can be quite successful but many will not be. Many times, it involves some trial and error to discover what works best for you. Business opportunities that are affordable and can be run from home allow entrepreneurs to try out a new program while not having to hand over massive amounts of money.Please don’t allow the honest observations to discourage you. Finding these type of business opportunities takes some research, time and a willingness to try new things in order to become successful. It’s totally doable with persistence as well as empowering yourself by learning as you go.Which affordable home based business opportunities should you try?That question is actually very personal since not every program is good for every person.Think about the things that interest you. Is there something you’re passionate about such as fly fishing gear, children’s education, a musical instrument etc? It will help you narrow your search for affordable home based business opportunities.To help you brain storm and further narrow your search here are a few ideas:Affiliate marketingSocial media marketingMulti-level marketingAuction salesThese and many other programs could be the right business for you and all are affordable. If you’re just starting out with online business, be sure to research each company, take your time, learn the program and apply what you’re learning to see if it’s the right thing for you.You just have to find a business that interests you, is affordable and can be run from your home. After conducting the necessary due diligence you then just have start working with that business opportunity. It does take some commitment on your part to consistently learn and grow your business, especially when you’re first getting started.Affordable Home Based Business Opportunities: The PotentialThere is amazing potential for your business that can be run from home and it’s not uncommon to make several thousand dollars a month from a business you can work at from your study, kitchen, or bedroom.If you’re truly interested in working from home, make a commitment to yourself and your business. There will be ups and downs as you’re learning. There will also be some frustration to work through.When you’re determined and if you treat this like a business and NOT a hobby you’ll be able to turn lots of affordable home based business opportunities into massive income generators and a richer, fuller life for you and your family.It does cost money to get started and you will need a marketing budget, but the barriers to entry are low. And it is possible to generate a significant amount of money with all of these. For these reasons, home based business opportunities are ideal for people that are short on money but long on determination, grit and focus.

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Commercial Real Estate Agents – Property Management Services and Solutions That Work

When it comes to agents managing commercial property today, it is fundamentally important that they provide real expertise to the process. Commercial property is complex by nature and performance. Experience and knowledge will be part of the core skill sets to be provided to the clients that agents act for.

There are a number of key factors to be controlled in the provision of professional commercial property management and leasing services, and here are the main ones:

Make sure you control the tenants within the tenancy mix so that you can optimize their occupancy in the property. A successful tenant or group of tenants will make it easier to improve the rental within the property and keep your vacancy factors lower. As part of this process the property manager needs to get very close to the tenants in an ongoing way. Regular dialogue and meetings regards occupancy and property usage will help the property manager understand developing problems and challenges that the tenant is experiencing.

The management of leases within the property is closely aligned to the tenancy mix and the plans of the landlord. Leases present certain challenges that need to be managed such as rent reviews, options, make good provisions, refurbishments, relocations, and property maintenance. Every tenant to be placed in the property should be matched to a lease that is prepared and aligned to the landlord’s property investment plans. Every lease that is negotiated should be approached on the basis of its integration into the surrounding tenancy mix. Look at the bigger picture and not just at the single lease negotiation.

As a property gets larger and more complex, the maintenance management procedures become more sophisticated and critical. A well maintained property allows the tenants to successfully operate their businesses and hence pay the rental. Regrettably a number of landlords will take shortcuts or overlook certain maintenance matters to save on property cash flow. Whilst this may be satisfactory to a point, a poorly maintained property can be easily seen by tenants, customers, and future potential purchasers. Adopt a prudent but wise maintenance management process to support the future of the property for the landlord.

The financial performance of a commercial property is a fine balance between optimizing the income and controlling the expenditure. Realistically, the income to be generated from rentals should be appropriate to the local property market but not too high where it can be aggressively destroying the tenancy mix. High levels of rental have direct impact on the tenant’s ability to trade. High levels of rental will also move tenants to other properties nearby at the first opportunity. If your local property market has an abundance of vacant space, you need to be very careful as to how you manage and optimize your rental and tenant relations.
Good financial performance within a commercial property is usually obtained by carefully establishing a property budget prior to the commencement of each financial year. The landlord and or property manager will have relevant discussions as part of putting this budget in place.

It is of note that a property with high outgoings or levels of expenditure will become unattractive to new tenants in any lease negotiation. If tenants are too worried about the levels of outgoings within the premises as part of the lease negotiation, then they are likely to request a gross rental from the landlord to remove the uncertainty of outgoings escalation.

These are some of the big reasons why commercial property management is just so special; landlords need skillful agents to help them, and not inexperienced generic agents. Agency staff and personal applied to the commercial management and leasing process should be suitably qualified and very experienced. Landlords expect the best property management service and this only comes from the right personnel exercising the correct commercial property management processes.

A Brief Guide to Real Estate Law

The term real estate is one that we probably all associate with property, particularly buildings and homes, perhaps land as well, but in every day use it is far more common across the pond in the US rather than here in the UK. However, in the legal sphere the term is in standard use in the area of law known as real estate law – the law applying to all matters relating to the property market.

The value of the property market itself is vast. Across developed countries in 2002, The Economist estimated the market to be worth $68billion (77% of which is the residential property market) therefore also valuing it at 17% more than the total financial assets of these countries. What’s more, for the individuals or companies involved in the market, property often amounts to their biggest single asset and in the case of residential property, more pertinently and emotively, their home. The laws surrounding real estate are therefore often complex and the stakes dealt with are high.

What is Real Estate
As mentioned above real estate in a broad sense equates to what we term as property in everyday parlance. More specifically however, it refers to what are known as immovable objects owned by a party as opposed to movable objects that that party can take with them. In reality this definition covers objects such as land, the buildings thereon and other static objects which are attached to the land (or buildings), including crops and other natural resources found on that land. Conversely the objects which are not static come under the banner of possessions.

In addition to the physical elements of property the term also covers the rights that come with the ownership of that land such as the right to access it (or the air space above it), to mine it, to fish it etc.

In some legal contexts, and particularly in the UK, the term can be supplanted with the term real property (or just property) and instead real estate can be used, for example under probate law, more specifically to refer to a person’s share in property or real property at the time of their death.

What Does Real Estate Law Concern
Real estate law is therefore the area of law that deals with these estates/properties, the immoveable objects that are attached to them, any interests in them and the rights that come with them, although it can reach slightly outside of this (immovable object) brief when dealing with legal issues surrounding portable homes such as boats, caravans and mobile homes.

It comes under the wider area of law know as property law (although there are also many overlaps with contract law in practice), which itself concerns the rights that people have to objects that belong to people, and falls mostly under common law (law determined by precedents). The other area(s) of property law not covered by real estate law relate to the (non-fixed) possessions mentioned above or as they can otherwise be known chattels.

The law deals with both the commercial and residential property sectors; that is property owned by commercial enterprises for commercial use and property owned by private individuals or commercial enterprises for residential use respectively.

Within both of these sectors firms practicing real estate law will handle cases relating to the following:

Property transactions – including the buying, selling and leasing of property. The work done here by law firms to facilitate these transactions is termed conveyancing.
Development/construction – whether it be the construction of a new office block or an extension to a residential property
Ownership and occupancy disputes – the rights of tenants and landlords and matters relating to public housing, squatting, cooperative housing or shared apartments buildings etc.
Planning – the rights of land and building owners relating to land use
Rights of passage – rights of public to access or traverse land
Property investment – investment into property/real estate based funds or shares in investment syndicates.
The issues dealt with under the banner of real estate law are widespread and diverse and as mentioned previously the stakes for the parties involved are high and emotive so, as always with legal matters, it is paramount that people seek professional and experienced advice before embarking on property ventures.

How To Succeed At Online Product Creation The Easy Way

Product creation could be a frightening subject for a lot of Internet marketers to face. Some folks who get in the game with the intention of making a full time income are completely ignorant as to how an online business operates. One of the most profitable ways to create online cash is by creating a product that others are happy to pay for.

Product creation is legitimate method of generating money through internet marketing but many entrepreneurs get it wrong. They start by imitating their Internet marketing gurus by creating information products on Internet marketing in hopes of getting rich the way their heroes did. The problem is that they usually don’t know what they are doing and enter a highly competitive niche with very little marketing experience or connections.

Here are a few tips for effective product creation that may help you get on the right track:
Start by finding a profitable niche with low to moderate competition. If you conduct some rudimentary market research and keyword research, you’ll find many opportunities in areas that will surprise you. Amazon and eBay are two great places to brainstorm for product ideas.

Developing Your Product does not have to be a difficult project. You can find experts in the right field for your niche and pay them to write the material while an artist designs the packaging and website or blog. You can outsource the entire product creation part of the project after you conduct the research and testing to ensure profitability.

Sales and marketing strategies should be created while developing the product and learning about the market. Some experienced marketers use pay per click to drive traffic to their offer page; some folks outsource the entire marketing campaign to affiliates through ClickBank or other affiliate programs.

Product creation does not need to be hard, particularly when the merchandise is electronic. E-books, videos, audio and multi-media products sell very well. They are distributed immediately to customers electronically. Once you have a good feel for a niche market, try to service your customers with associated products and upgrades. If you want to earn money online through product creation, you must understand supply and demand. The majority of new online marketers fail miserably because they go after highly competitive markets or forget to research their chosen niche properly. You have to create your products according to the needs, wants and desires of the prospective customers.

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