Archive for August, 2010
Why Americans should host Foreign Exchange Students?
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010Each year, thousands of families, schools and communities across the United States welcome international students and visitors into their homes. They share holiday meals, discuss current events, and visit local sites together. They explore their differences, similarities, values, and beliefs. That person-to-person interaction, exemplifying citizen diplomacy, ensures that Americans and international visitors learn about each other’s culture and way of life…and creates lasting cross-cultural friendships.
Hosting an international exchange student in your home can enrich you, your family, school and community. Hosting international exchange visitors in your community ensures that community members become better informed about and connected to the world beyond U.S. borders.
Today, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encourages Americans to host foreign exchange students!
Hosting Opportunities here
What do you think? Have you already hosted Foreign Exchange Students? Will you host a foreign exchange student? Tell us why.
Who Do You Compete Against?
Saturday, August 14th, 2010Who Do You Compete Against? is the title of an enlightening and truly inspiring post written by one my mentors, Simon Sinek.
As Simon said, most people compete to beat others. This is true in businesses and for individuals. And as valuable as a competitive spirit may be, perhaps there is a better way.
To illustrate his point, he selected a video about Ben Comen that ESPN produced a few years
Ben Comen is a cross country runner who has run on the TL Hanna High School cross country team for five years, completing his senior season in 2004. Ben has cerebral palsy that affects his balance, so he has to work a little harder than his teammates. He typically finishes last in his races. Ben inspires.
His lesson is more valuable than perseverance. His lesson is more important that never quitting.
Ben shows us, that when you decide to compete against others, no one will help you. But when you decide to compete against yourself…everyone will help you.
More:
Ben Comen: Truly Living Without Limits here
What do you think? so, who do you compete against?
Across America
Friday, August 13th, 2010This is the story of Dan who hitchhiked from Seattle to New York City, nabbing rides from 23 friendly folks.
Watch his week-long journey in three minutes set to the catchy Jonathan Boulet tune “Ones Who Fly Twos Who Die.”
Warning : There are some strict laws on hitchhiking in the U.S. For example, no person shall stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride from the driver of any vehicle in California. Please read the blog post here before engaging yourself in hitchhiking.
What do you think? What is your favorite American city? Have you already been on a road trip? Share your experience with us.
Apps and tools for back to school?
Friday, August 13th, 2010As you are preparing to head back to college (or start your first year), you might want to check these tools and applications to get off to the right start this Fall 2010 Semester.
1. Skype - traditionally a software application that allows users to make free voice calls to one another, professors and students are beginning to use its BETA group video-chat service to engage in classroom discussions and host virtual office hours
2. Google Docs – Google applications such as Google Documents, Calendar and GMail have become a standard suite of tools for college students to collaborate – really hits the spot for group work
3. Twitter – no longer just a social network, students and academics alike are starting to leverage this network to crowd-source questions, gather research and increase classroom engagement levels
4. GradeGuru Citation Manager - a bookmarklet & FireFox Add-On that helps students collect and manage citations in APA, MLA and Harvard style straight from their browser – a real time saver for essays, papers and assignments
5. Chegg – #1 textbook rental site
6. Studyrails – online study tool that helps with time management by allowing students to schedule their study time and block out access to sites that might distract them
7. Study Tracker – the iPad app by GradeGuru that helps student track their performance – students can record their study time and grades per class to monitor their effort and outcomes
8. Mindmeister – online mind mapping and collaboration tool that helps with group projects and presentations
9. Quizlet - students can browse and use millions of flashcards created by other students and teachers, or create their own
10. DYD -a web-based 3-D dorm room design tool that allows college students to customize their dorm room interiors and purchase their favorite room selections online
Source: GradeGuru.com
GradeGuru.com is a free knowledge sharing network where college students can share and find class-specific study materials, learn collaboratively and build their academic reputations to earn rewards, internships and career opportunities.
If you have an iPhone, you might as well consider using some of these money saving apps below:
1. iXpenseIt: While this app does cost $4.99, it will save you money by enabling you to track your expenses in the easiest and most efficient way. After making a purchase at the store, use this app to take a picture of the receipt and the app will store that data – this way you can keep track of exactly how much money you spend each month – this is critical if you want to save money. Think about it: How can you save money, if you don’t know how much money you spend? Use this app in conjunction with HelpSaveMyDollars.com’s Expense Calculator to determine how much money you save each month.
2. BigWords: Save money on textbooks by using the BigWords iPhone app to buy and sell used textbooks. You should also compare textbook prices using the HelpSaveMyDollars.com Textbook Search Engine.
3. Yowza!!: This app lets you find mobile coupons – on your phone based on your location! Find the coupon on your iPhone and a bar code will appear – the cashier at the store can scan the bar code and give you the discount – no need to print the coupon out.
4. AroundMe: Use this app to find the lowest cost hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars in your area.
5. MyHomework: You’ll always remember the due dates for papers and homework after using this app. Simply enter in the due dates for upcoming homework assignments and papers and you’ll receive notifications when it’s getting close to the deadline – the sign an all nighter is approaching!
Source : Scott Gamm
What do you think? What are your favorite tools and apps?
Myths about life in the U.S. ?
Thursday, August 12th, 2010A series of U.S. college and university representatives talk about myths/stories that prospective international students have told them about how they thought life would be like in the U.S. Some myths they help dispel:
1. Big cities aren’t safe,
2. Life in the US is like Hollywood or Disneyworld,
3. Private schools are always better than public schools,
4. Weather is too extreme in certain parts of US,
5. U.S. higher education is too expensive,
6. U.S. admissions people don’t know my education system,
7. Conditional admissions isn’t possible,
8. Best schools are only on the east & west coasts.
Remember though, that each person’s experience is different, and part of the value of your experience abroad will be your own discovery of America and Americans.
What do you think? How do you think life is in the U.S?
If you want to visit an EducationUSA center click here.
If you have more questions about life in the USA, and you need more tips, please fill out this form here! We’ll send you local information specific to your projects.
How do Muslim Americans Observe Ramadan ?
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010Ramadan in America, like elsewhere in the world, is a month of fasting, prayer, charitable giving and reflection. Muslim Americans of diverse backgrounds and national origins gather in Islamic centers across the U.S. to worship and celebrate their faith. For many, Ramadan also is an opportunity to educate non-Muslim friends about their culture and traditions.
Source : VOA News
More resources:
American Muslims trace their ancestry to more than 80 countries. America.gov explores the richness of these traditions through the lens of Ramadan. See here
Ramadan around the world in pictures. See here
A Ramadan Adventure: 30 US Mosques in 30 Days. See here
Getting Married in America?
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English talks about weddings in America.
Many weddings are taking place in the United States in the summer. The most popular months are June, July and August.
Each year, more than two million weddings take place in the United States. More than seventy billion dollars is spent on those weddings. And that does not include honeymoon travel for the newlyweds.
Some people have big weddings and invite everyone they know. Some have small, simple weddings and invite only their closest friends and family members. And some elope. They get married first and tell people later. Continue reading here
Listening the story here
Source : VOA News
What do you think? What are the wedding traditions and customs in your countries?
Do languages shape our thoughts?
Friday, August 6th, 2010Do the languages we speak shape the way we think? Do they merely express thoughts, or do the structures in languages (without our knowledge or consent) shape the very thoughts we wish to express?
Take “Humpty Dumpty sat on a…” Even this snippet of a nursery rhyme reveals how much languages can differ from one another. In English, we have to mark the verb for tense; in this case, we say “sat” rather than “sit.” In Indonesian you need not (in fact, you can’t) change the verb to mark tense.
In Russian, you would have to mark tense and also gender, changing the verb if Mrs. Dumpty did the sitting. You would also have to decide if the sitting event was completed or not. If our ovoid hero sat on the wall for the entire time he was meant to, it would be a different form of the verb than if, say, he had a great fall.
In Turkish, you would have to include in the verb how you acquired this information. For example, if you saw the chubby fellow on the wall with your own eyes, you’d use one form of the verb, but if you had simply read or heard about it, you’d use a different form.
Do English, Indonesian, Russian and Turkish speakers end up attending to, understanding, and remembering their experiences differently simply because they speak different languages?
Lera Boroditsky in her cognitive research suggests that language profoundly influences the way people see the world. Continue reading here
By Lera Boroditsky. Lera is a professor of psychology at Stanford and editor in chief of Frontiers in Cultural Psychology.
Source : The Wall Street Journal
What do you think? Share your thoughts with us.
How To Achieve Your Childhood Dreams?
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010Almost all of us have childhood dreams. When our parents ask us what we want to become when we grow up, some would say: “I want to become a doctor someday.” “I want to become a lawyer.” Or some would say “I want to become a famous singer or a famous Hollywood artist like my idol!”
We want to point you out to a remarkable speech by Ryan Pausch, Professor of Computer Science in Carnegie-Mellon University who has pancreatic cancer and died last July 25, 2008.
His last lecture was entitled “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” delivered on September 18, 2007, and was watched by almost 12 millions of people on youtube. Ryan Pausch achieved a lot of his dreams: Walking in zero gravity, designing a theme park for Disney, helped develop Alice, a computer software used by the university, to easily create 3D animations, etc.
Here are some of the remarkable insights that he shared to his audience:
“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.” – because the brick walls are there to stop people who don’t want badly enough.
“It’s not about how you achieve your dreams but how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the good karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.
“Almost all of us have childhood dreams; for example, being an astronaut, or making movies or video games for a living. Sadly, most people don’t achieve theirs, and I think that’s a shame. I had several specific childhood dreams, and I’ve actually achieved most of them. More importantly, I have found ways, in particular the creation (with Don Marinelli), of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center of helping many young people actually achieve their childhood dreams”
In this lecture, Ryan gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals. He taught how to pursue our dreams. But the most important of all is that we should abide by the golden rule of life and that is to do good on others. By helping people to achieve their dreams, you are also helping yourself to achieve your own dreams.
So continue dreaming, do good to others and take action. Let’s achieve our dreams and once achieved, let’s also help others achieve their own dreams.
What are you childhood dreams? Are you chasing them? How do you lead your life? How do you want to help other achieve their own dreams?
Download Transcripts here
For more on Randy, visit here
Learn how to support the Randy Pausch Memorial Bridge, visit here
Tips for Personal Branding
Monday, August 2nd, 2010In the current job climate we all need to learn personal branding. Dan Schawbel of Millennial Branding sat with Alison Bologna to discuss all this and more.
Weather it’s beefing up your Facebook contacts, connecting with hiring managers on twitter or learning how to turn your passion into your new career. At any age, your brand is important in the work force.
Dan wrote “Me 2.0″ which shows job seekers and established professionals how to use the power of online media for personal empowerment and career success.
Me 2.0, Revised and Updated Edition: 4 Steps to Building Your Future
What do you think?
How do you use social networking sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook in your job search?
Do you know how to build your personal brand?
If you need help with personal brand and job search, contact us here