STEM Education: Connecting the Classroom to Careers

Over the past few years, there has been a focus on math and science education and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Since President Obama has been in office, it seems like almost everyone is jumping on the “how important math and science education is and/or we need our kids to help us create our future STEM workforce” bandwagon. It seems like more resources are being put into enhancing math and science education programs. However, with all this attention on math and science, people are really not paying attention to the hows and whys we have gotten to this point in education and in our economy.

If you pay attention to economies of the world’s wealthiest countries; they have a strong educational system where there kids excel academically in all or most disciplines. The reason why education is linked to a strong economy because it is with education that you are able to have workforce that has the skills for the jobs in your economy. When the United States had a strong economy and was the global leader, we had a great educational system. However, the current state of our educational system is that students aren’t graduating with the skills for the jobs that are currently available in our economy. There are various reasons for this, however my main theory behind this is not enough kids or parents think about their future as it relates to connecting their education with their future careers.

I remember when I was growing up, I remember always knowing that I was going to get good grades so I can go to college and get a good job. Even my peers, who didn’t have any aspirations to go to college, had some plan in mind for a career, job or business after high school graduation. However, today’s K-12 students and parents are missing that connection to their education and their place in the future workforce; this disconnect takes place in all socioeconomic levels. So why are people asking where are all the jobs going? The question we should be asking is I am preparing myself and my children to get the jobs that are available in the current and future economy?

We prepare our children to become a part of the future workforce in two ways; researching the industry trends in the US and global economy and encouraging them to achieve academically and enhance the classroom experience with extracurricular activities. In the United States and global economy. It is true that jobs are disappearing as well as sectors, but there are sectors in the economy where there are plenty of jobs that go unfilled. The reasons why jobs in some sectors go unfilled is because there aren’t individuals with the skills and knowledge to do the job. The world is moving towards an educated workforce; which means individuals in the future economy will need to have a particular skill set or knowledge base to be employable. Most jobs in this new economy will require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, however there are some sectors that require only technical training. The key to ensure that your child will have a spot in the future workforce is researching the trends and sectors in the economy; most of which can be found on the department of labor and other government websites. Once you find the job trends, look at the academic subjects your child is strong in and their interests and guide then toward a career path that is a part of the current and future economy. In the STEM sector, there are plenty of jobs that are available now and being created as new fields in STEM emerge daily.

The second thing we need to do is have our children see the connection between what they do in the classroom today and their career options in the future. There are great benefits for students that achieve academically and participate in extracurricular activities. Classroom grades and standardized test scores are the tools that are utilized to measure student achievement. Students and parents shouldn’t wait until high school to see the importance of grades and standardized test scores. There are public policy decisions for the society as a whole that are made based on the standardized test scores of third graders. In addition, your child’s educational path will be determined by their teachers and principals based on the third grade test scores as well. Therefore, parents must encourage and support academic achievement from the first day your child enters school; as early as Pre-K. An environment that encourages and supports academic achievement means checking and doing homework with your child. It also includes finding tutorial support for subject areas that students may struggle in to ensure academic success in all subject areas. The final part of encouraging academic achievement is being a part of your child’s standardized test preparation. There are countless studies that show that when parents are an active part of their child’s education, children perform better academically.

The classroom should not be the only place where students have learning experiences. Children should participate in extracurricular activities that support their interests and strengths. Students that are interested in math and science should participate in math and science competitions and clubs. Students should also participate in summer and after-school programs in their area of interest. Finally students should participate in as many events as possible in their area of interest such as visiting museums, attending career fairs, etc.

The great thing about education is that is is not only a tool to train and equip students with skills, but it opens one’s eyes to see the possibilities. If we are going to have a future STEM workforce, we have to not only give our kids the skills to academically achieve in math and science, but allow them to see the possibility of having a career in those fields. The earlier our kids see this connection, the brighter their future becomes.

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Start a Home Based Business: Five Tips to Ensure Success

The following tips are relevant for any home-based business as they encourage a business-focused approach. This is important, particularly as many home-based businesses grow out of hobbies.

Space

Allocate appropriate space and organize it for the tasks you have to perform. You need somewhere to work and where you can focus on the tasks to develop and maintain the business. Also, like any job there are times when you may need to get away from it.

Separate Resources

Sharing resources like the telephone offers obvious cost advantages to home-based businesses.

However, separating business and personal resources can make accounting easier and more importantly, protect items that are mission-critical for the business. For example, sharing a computer with the kids should be avoided.

Attitude

The harsh reality for most home-based businesses is there is much to do but often there is only one person to do it.

Therefore, set a work schedule and stick to it. As your own boss you have to manage yourself. Just getting started in the morning can be tough when working from home so maintain a routine. Get up, get showered, get dressed and go get a coffee at Starbucks if that’s how you start your normal working day.

Application

Your job is to run a home-based business so you need to be working at it. You are not the housekeeper, babysitter, gardener or any other form of domestic help, at least, not while you are supposed to be working.

It is easy to slip into this mode, particularly when you have a business task that you do not really relish but this does not pay the bills.

Revenue

Just because the overheads are comparatively low, home-based businesses still have to make money. The business may have grown out of a hobby that hopefully you still enjoy. But remember, it is a business and now needs to generate revenue to cover costs and to thrive. Otherwise, it is still just a hobby and you need to find other means to earn a living.

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Finding Legitimate Home Based Businesses

If you have ever wondered if there are legitimate home based businesses available just do an online search and you will find that there are literally millions of advertisements and posts regarding all the different opportunities. Unfortunately at the same time there will be plenty of those that will not be legitimate. So the journey to finding legitimate home based businesses starts with you. Deciding if you want to do it part time, full time and what kind of money you would like to make will help you start to narrow down your choices.One of the best resources for looking into a business is to research it with the Better Business Bureau. Using the BBB will allow you to not only find out the goods of the company but will also show you if there have any complaints against the company and if they have been settled to the BBB’s standard. This is a great place to start and you cannot go wrong here.While looking for legitimate home based businesses you should take a good close look at the company’s founders. This can pretty much be done by just researching the founders on the internet and as usual you will find plenty of information. Has the founder been successful in other businesses and if so start doing research on those to find out the reputation can stand up to scrutiny and how successful was the endeavor.Training and Support is a major factor when I was looking for a company to partner with, would I be able to talk to a person if I needed to or was I on my own. I did not want to be purchasing a program that was just an eBook of ‘how to’, I wanted to know that if I had questions there was not only someone that I could contact but that there was ongoing support and training. Especially when working on the internet if you have never done it before having a blueprint to follow and then having an ongoing and growing training was important and I believe should be important to you if you want to succeed online.Lastly make sure you get your questions answered. Any legitimate home based businesses will not hide anything from you. If you are getting the run around and cannot get questions answered then you probably do not want to be a part of that company because they are obviously trying to hide something from you. Make sure you get to take a good look at how the company is run, what ongoing training is offered and who can you contact if you have questions. These are necessary for anyone to be able to find any legitimate home based businesses and be successful.

Creating Your Own Successful Home Based Business

Staring up a small business has truly never been easier. In fact, more and more people are doing so from their homes which often provide an incredible foundation of providing a steady and incredible stream of income if executed properly. As such, one truly must understand the foundations of creating a successful home based business in order to create a successful business venture that is also filled with an incredible longevity.There are countless studies that exist which have proven running a business of any size and any kind truly takes a very special person. There are various characteristics of the most successful business owners that provide a foundation for incredible and immense success. These traits and habits are what people should seriously consider prior to starting their very own business.One of the most important aspects of running a successful business is a high degree of enthusiasm. One should truly love what they and be enthusiastic about it in order to successfully put in the long hours often required to make them work. This often also creates a desire to keep moving through the difficult times.Another incredibly important principle and step is the setting of goals. Too often, people become myopic in simply earning money and forget that goal setting is actually an incredibly important foundation of success. Setting and obtaining short and long term goals while help ensure the success and viability of any business venture.Also, the correct and sound mindset is crucial as well. Running a successful home based business often requires a tremendous amount of discipline and dedication in order for it to be successful. Keeping this right mindset is crucial in order to remain long lasting and successful in regard to profit.Time management is also crucial. In order to earn profit and remain competitive, one must be as efficient and effective as possible in running their business. This allows the opportunity for increased business and further profit potential in the long and short term goal setting process.Finally, there is also a great deal of focus required when running a successful home based business. There will often be countless distractions and deterrents from reaching any goal or milestone set forth as well as foundational needs to remain in business. Throughout all of these distractions and deterrents, one must remain focused on the goals of success to ensure these distractions do not destroy any business efforts.

Success Factors – Keys to Your Home Based Business Success

What are Success FactorsThink of them as building blocks, the more you have the stronger your foundation, the stronger your foundation – the stronger your business!Entering into any home-based business venture is an enormous challenge that will require all your skills and then some. It will take many, out of their comfort zones, and throw them into the twilight.You may have that uncontrollable urge to set up a productive Home-Based Business, and put the results of your productivity in your own pockets, instead of the pockets of others.What is an Entrepreneur An Entrepreneur is simply one who has an idea, organizes, operates, and assumes all risks of their home-based business venture.Most home-based businesses require the same Entrepreneurial Characteristics as any franchisor; it is your concept, your planning, your skills, your knowledge and your implementation of your detailed Business Plan that will determine the success of your home-based business.What are the some Success Factors of a Home-Based Entrepreneur?* Entrepreneurs must be self-motivators and resilient.* Resourceful, able to adapt and adjust,* Knowledgeable about their home-based business venture,* Entrepreneurs are skilled in money management.* They establish realistic, short and long-term goals.* Entrepreneurs are Decisive.Please remember, Home-base Business continues to evolve; both the entrepreneur and success may soon be redefined. In order to succeed in a home-based business, one needs more than heart.Many Home-Base Businesses fail because people fail to investigate and understand the magnitude of what it takes to be in business.You may have to make personal sacrifices. Some quickly become disillusioned when they meet adversity. They frequently set unrealistic goals or believe in the six figures a month stories promoted on TV, and in many articles. The decision to own a home-based business is yours. Your vision can take you through to retirement providing enjoyment and financial security for you and your family.Don’t let fear paralyze you from taking action; denying you the life you deserve. Do you hear that knock on the door? Its success and it’s waiting for you! I am a firm believer that if you want something in life you have to go after it with passion and persistence. So, put the remote down and grab hold of success.In summary we suggest you: remember to think of the success factors mention above as building blocks, the more you have the stronger your foundation, the stronger your foundation – the stronger your business! You can learn the skills needed for these success factors and by doing so you increase your chances at home business success.

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Should You Start A Home Based Business? Questions To Ask Yourself

If You are Perfectly happy with accepting the way things are in your life, then a Home Based Business Is Not for You! Questions You Should Be Asking Yourself:Q: Do You have all the vacation time you need and deserve?Q: Can You write off a portion of your home and utilities in your present situation? Some of the best tax benefits this country has to offer are available only to business owners!Q: Do you work for a company that has mandatory overtime? with a Home Based Business the only overtime you put in is self-imposed and because you want to do it!Q: Do you work a night shift job? If you do you probably work the night of a Holiday such Memorial Day like I did because the company delivers their products early the next day! With a Home Based Business you can party as long as you want on holidays and get some extra sleep the day after!Q: Do You have an alarm clock? With a Home based business you don’t ever need one!Q: Do You have a long commute to work? Wouldn’t it be cool if your commute consisted of going from your bed to the coffee maker and then to your laptop? In your pajamas!Q: Does your company have a dress code? With your own home based business you can save the dress clothes for parties and entertaining. Work in your PJ’s or Buck Naked if you prefer, as long as you are not video conferencing!Q: Has anyone at your company been laid off in the past 2 years? Does that worry you? You can only lay yourself off if you have a Home Based Business and that’s only if you give up! You are better than that!Q: Are getting the raises you deserve? Or any raise at all? With a home based business you will dictate how much you make by how much effort you put into it.Q: Does your company allow you to be a part owner? If they are a publicly traded company you can buy stock but can you afford to invest your hard-earned money and gamble on their success?Q: Do You like your Boss? With a home based business I’m pretty sure you would!Q: Do your co-workers pull their own weight or do you find yourself working harder to pick up their slack? With a Home Based Business you decide who you will work with!Q: How many years until you can retire and live in the lap of luxury? Only You can answer that!OK, well hopefully this article and these questions served to get you thinking about your present situation and gave you a bit of a hint as to what you can do about it.

Marketing, Promoting and Advertising Your Home Based Business

One thing that goes without saying in today’s business world, is that regardless of the nature of your home based business, a website is an absolute MUST. Whether you have a product or service to sell, whether local or global, your business will go nowhere fast if you don’t have an online presence. If you need internet marketing help, you’ve landed on the right article. I’ll give you some home based business marketing ideas that will help you promote your business successfully.The first step is choosing a domain name and getting it registered. You can build your own website (if you have the time) and host it yourself or you can have everything done by another company (if you have the money). Either way, you have many options and tools at your disposal that can align with your business plan and budget. Also note that you can still start your own home based business even if you don’t have a product or service to sell. There are thousands of individuals and companies that have products you can sell for them while earning a commission, called affiliate marketing.Of the many business marketing strategies known to man, internet marketing is, hands down, the best strategy to use for promoting a home based business as it is the cheapest method and has the potential for reaching millions of people all over the globe. Driving traffic to your site through online resources is like killing two birds with one stone. You can tackle print advertising by writing articles and publishing them to directories and ezines and by submitting ads to the many available (and most of them free) classified ad sites. Online media advertising encompasses writing press releases and distributing them to press release sites. One of the biggest and most popular online advertising trends today is via social media advertising through sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn where you build relationships with your customers. Forums and communities are also great ways to build relationships which helps promote your home based business in the long run. Simply Google your market or industry with the word ‘forum’ or ‘community’ behind it and search for one or two that seem to be the best fit for you.All of these methods of online advertising contribute to search engine optimization (SEO), which is to say improving your online visibility and escalating in the search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. Your goal is to claim the #1 spot in the organic search results (the results on the left, not the right side which are paid ads). This is where your traffic will come from. If you are 800 in the list of search results, no one is ever going to see your site because very few people have the time or patience to scroll through 800 search results. Research shows that people typically won’t even scroll past 4 or 5 search results, let alone 800.Can you grasp the importance of internet marketing for any business? If you are new to the internet marketing phenomenon and don’t know exactly where to start, there are many great programs or systems online that walk you through every aspect of marketing your online business. A lot of these systems were created by online entrepreneurs who have spent thousands of their own dollars trying to figure it all out over the years and finally DID. Their sacrifices have made it easier for newbies to become successful at their own online home based business. If you are new to running your own home based business, I recommend you find a great system (do your research, read reviews, ask questions in forums) and start marketing your home business from there. Don’t waste the time and money that so many of us have in going it alone, without a proven system, as it will just set you back further and hinder your progress.If you are truly interested in starting your own home based business, I invite you to visit homebusinessmarketingprosonline.com and see how a comprehensive, step-by-step system can help you succeed before wasting hundreds or perhaps thousands of dollars and hours of time on the multitude of systems offered online, most with promises of making you rich in no time.

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Property Managers Keep Landlords and Tenants Happy

Property managers serve as a cushion between renters and the property owners. They are responsible for managing both commercial and residential rental property and their main duty is to find and evaluate renters, repair rental property, collect rents, and handle evictions. Other duties of property managers include advertising properties, setting rent rates and the collection of rent, payment of taxes, and liaising between insurance agencies and contractors.

If you own rental property you will want to get the best return from your investment, and thus it would be a wise move to use the services of a property manager, however, you will need to do your homework. Finding the best property manager that suits you and your rental property needs to be approached carefully, and before you make a decision you will have to weigh-up several factors.

To ensure that you get someone who will adequately serve your needs, here are some qualities to look for:

Effective maintenance to protect your property

As a landlord you always need take a close look at how a preferred property management company maintenance plan operates and ensure that they are proven and effective with a trustworthy, reliable and cost-effective maintenance crew.

To ensure that both tenants and landlords are happy, effective and speedy maintenance or repairs are imperative in order to keep the tenants satisfied and to protect the owner’s property.

Good Communication

This is a skill that everyone in business needs and property managers need to excel at as they are dealing with many different people on a daily basis. They have to be able to identify any issues and be able to quickly provide updates to landlords concerning tenants and other related details.

Knowledge of market rates and financial accountability

Your preferred property manager should be up to date with current market trends and rental rates so that when they are making valuations and setting rentals they can bring the best possible return on investment to the rental property owner.

They need to be able to provide reliable and accurate account information on payments and leases.

When hiring a property manager you will enter into a legal contract and pay a fee for their services. This is usually absorbed by the rental fee and each company will have their own policy, but generally it is a percentage of the gross monthly rent.

All records of rent and other financial transactions must be meticulous and readily available to property owners on request. Most property management companies have automated software that is updated daily ensuring that their records are always current.

When looking for someone to manage your property it is a good idea to have a look at some of the reviews and testimonials from other tenants and landlords.

Look at their legal expertise as often there will be issues arising between the tenant and landlord that cannot be resolved among themselves. Your manager should be able to resolve minor issues, but more difficult cases will have to be taken to a disputes hearing and you will want to be able to get legal advice from your property manager.

In summary, before you decide on the best people to take care of your investment you will want to compare the services of each company. If they have a large portfolio of tenants and landlords that is a good sign that they are experienced.

Some of the very basic requirements to ensure your investment is in good hands would be:

Do they offer 24-hour customer services for urgent repairs?
Do they have adequate knowledge of the current rental market
Are they operating a fully automated computer system for reporting and recording information?
Are regular property inspections carried out and the owners notified of any problems?
When you find the best property management company with appropriate resources, you can be confident that your asset is in safe hands knowing they will adhere to the regulations and guidelines set down for rental properties.

UAE Real Estate Laws and Regulations

The UAE experienced a tremendous building boom up till 2008 when the financial crisis hit. During that period, foreigners wanting to invest in the UAE were plenty. Today, post financial crisis as the market here is recovering, that appetite to buy new property and lease better property is once again on the rise.

UAE and GCC nationals can own property in the UAE. As a foreigner in the UAE, owning and / or leasing property needs to comply with laws and regulations that change from time to time. That said, in Dubai and the UAE, property law is young and is still taking shape.

In the UAE, each Emirate has developed its own laws. For example, to the best of my knowledge, in Fujairah, foreigners cannot buy property. However in Dubai, foreign ownership of freehold real property is permitted. There are “free-zones” within each Emirate designated for specific use. Each zone is a tax-free jurisdiction and has its own rules and regulations. A company established in a free zone can be 100 per cent owned by foreign nationals and may own freehold interests in real property within that zone.

Choosing the right real-estate agent is crucial to getting the right information, price and ultimate deal. A bit of your own research on what is out there, and what you are willing to spend over how long would also be beneficial.

You don’t have to be in Dubai to buy the property; it is possible for you to give Power of Attorney to a person to handle all the aspects of the purchase on their behalf but it is advisable that they check all the documentation and ensure that everything is clear before signing the deal.

Legalities regarding freehold ownership by non-UAE nationals and non-GCC nationals are ambiguous, as are the practices and procedures for issuing residence visas to expatriate buyers and their families. Some local banks offer mortgage finance to expatriates wanting to buy property in the UAE. It seems that finance can be arranged through overseas banks if you have assets overseas.

It’s in the UAE’s interest to allow buyers to own property and therefore there I have read about two new real estate laws that will improve protection for buyers, investors and landlords – and they are as follows: A buyer can request the courts to cancel a contract if the developer ‘significantly changes’ the agreed specifications, or refuses to deliver the unit without a good reason. Buyers can also seek legal action if developers do not bind payments to approved construction based milestones or the unit is proved unstable due to major structural defects.

The regulations also stop developers from selling off plan units before taking possession, which includes actual control of the land. Leasing accommodation is most common in the UAE. Contracts normally last a year during which the landlords are not permitted to increase the rent, until its time for renewal.

Landlords of leased apartments are normally required to handle the annual maintenance of their property and they are not permitted to evict a tenant without just cause within the tenancy contract time period. All-in-all, the UAE is a great place to live and buy property. However, careful research into laws and regulations in a timely manner is a must.

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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