Archive for February, 2009
Posted by admin on
February 2, 2009
Many graduates undertake teacher training because it’s a unchanging fact that the world always needs teachers. Few teachers a decade ago could have anticipated the way the world of learning would change and expand with the advent of the internet and online teaching. That may consist of blended learning (conventional teaching enhanced by e-learning) or may take place entirely online.
Teaching jobs now come in an extraordinary range of shapes and forms, many of them enabled directly by the growth of the internet and the new possibilities in online education. Teaching in schools may still be the preferred job description for many teachers, but the horizon has expanded to give teachers a wide choice. Here are some of the options:
- Creating and delivering e-learning courses, by email or through interactive online teaching.
- Instructor-led teaching and lecturing in virtual classrooms; distance learning
- Computer-aided assessments and testing
- Participatory teaching through webinars
- Interactive teaching using the medium of forums and online learning communities
- Personalised, individual online tutoring and homework help.
In the new sphere of e-learning there’s something for everyone – from teachers who prefer developing materials to those interested in high-tech educational events. Perhaps the most popular is the last-mentioned. Online tutoring has created thousands of teacher jobs. Teachers are no longer tied to local catchment areas, but can help learners anywhere in the world. For those who can’t or don’t want to work full-time (such as work-at-home parents), these flexible online teaching jobs are ideal.
It doesn’t really matter what is to be taught; the interactive Web 2.0 platform usually offers a solution. Not long ago it was almost unthinkable for music teacher jobs (for example) to function effectively online. With quality audio and video links, that is now entirely possible. Computers now offer prospect for practical instruction as never before.
The need for education, and with it the growth of new teaching jobs, is growing and figures show that the internet is a key site of that expansion. Some specialities (such as math teacher jobs) are always in high demand, in both K-12 and tertiary education.
Math teacher jobs, English teacher jobs, music teacher jobs, study skills instruction and homework help – you name it and there are opportunities in online teaching and tutoring for almost any educator. Teachers can set their own hours and rates and focus on the educational sub-domain that they find most worthy and rewarding.
Posted by admin on
February 2, 2009
If you have just finished college and have received your teaching degree, or are currently a professional not in the teaching field and you want to transition into teaching then read on.
The process of finding employment in the teaching field can be an overwhelming task, if you are unprepared. Quite often more experienced teachers are automatically invited to continue teaching at the beginning of each school year, leaving those new in the field out of luck. Another reason for job seeker frustration is that available teaching positions may be limited and competitive.
There are ways you can make this process a lot less painful by following a few simple guidelines, and before you know it you will be on your way to a new teaching career!
If you are a new graduate, visit your local school system’s human resources department or recruiting department and inquire about any possible open positions. If there are currently no available positions ask if you can leave your resume in case something opens up. Most schools interview potential candidates several months before the hiring for the upcoming school year begins.
Beginning as a substitute teacher will help you start your career and this may very easily lead to a full-time teacher position. While attending as a substitute it is important to network with your co-workers and administrators and mingle with the students. If you create an excellent bond with the students and co-workers your chances of getting hired as a full-time teacher will greatly increase. Develop a relationship with the administrators at the school and demonstrate that you are passionate and enthusiastic about having a classroom of your own. If you do an excellent job while substituting you will have more of a chance of getting an interview if you are known by the administration than if you weren’t.
Networking is crucial. Let everyone in your social circle, your family, friends, colleagues, etc. know that you are looking for a full-time teaching position. You never know what can happen in casual conversation. Usually it is easier to get an interview when you are vouched for by word of mouth, especially if you are new to a field.
Many overlooked alternative teaching positions include, tutoring, coaching, training, mentoring, or teaching degree programs. Do not close yourself off to just teaching in a traditional school environment. Usually, if you have just started in the teaching profession, a great way to get acquainted with the field is by ‘training’ positions.
Search for job posting on the internet. If you enter ‘teacher’ or ‘teaching’ or ‘educator’ on any job websites search engine, you will find a huge list of teaching positions. The drawback to this is that hundreds of other interested teachers are looking at the same available positions. Narrowing your search online by searching specific areas of teaching, for instance ‘math teacher’, will narrow your search to that specific job title and make things a little less overwhelming.
Remember, entering any new field can feel like it is overwhelming and daunting, but persistence and hard work will guarantee your success. Make sure you start with a visually appealing, keyword rich, accomplishment-based resume and cover letter that showcase what you can bring to the school district.
Posted by admin on
February 1, 2009
The piano is an exquisite musical instrument that may be a bit intimidating to learn but is worth every sweat, time and money you’ll spend. If you want to teach yourself to play piano easily and fast, start now. The earlier you begin, the better you’ll be and the earlier you’ll be able to play a favorite piece. Here’s how you can start:
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rDecide on your piano playing.
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rIf you want to teach yourself to play piano easily, you need to decide what kind of piano player you want to be. If you want to be a concert pianist playing Mozart or Tchaikovsky, you will have to learn how to read notes and somewhere down the line, probably take formal lessons, if only for the technique. But if you only want to learn the piano so you can accompany a singer or compose your own song, you can start with chords, which is arguably the easier way to start playing.
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rThere are also different styles of piano playing you might want to concentrate on – classical, jazz, blues, new age, etc. You can learn one or several of these styles in the future once you’re familiar with the instrument itself.
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rHave access to a piano.
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rTo teach yourself to play piano easily you need access to a piano. A piano is a bit expensive, but you don’t have to buy one to be able to teach yourself to play piano easily. There are many sources you can tap for free – local clubs, schools, churches, even friends and neighbors who might be willing to let you use their piano.
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rIf you’re a little shy and want to practice at home, get a portable electronic keyboard to learn to play piano easily. There are some very inexpensive ones that work as well as a Korg or a Roland. These keyboards even allow you to plug a headphone so no one else hears your playing. Just buy one with full-sized keys because the really cheap ones can have smaller-sized keys. If your fingers get used to smaller keys, you might have some trouble adjusting if you begin playing a full-sized piano in the future.
rGet your lesson.
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rA piano lesson is never far away. There are numerous books, CDs and online lessons you can tap to help you to teach yourself to play piano easily. There are some videos and audio instructional sources you can use.
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rYou can get free or paid lessons easily and can even access some of the most popular music to learn. Because we all learn differently, it’s important that you find the lesson that you feel most comfortable with to teach yourself to play piano easily.
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rHave a back up.
rThere are times when you might get stumped on a lesson simply because you don’t get it or are not using the right technique. If this happens, find a different resource you can use for reference to teach yourself to play piano easily such as a different website, book or video or just simply ask someone if you’re playing the piano correctly.
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rPractice.
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rNobody learned to play the piano practicing only when they felt like it. Even the virtuosos played the piano as often as they can. Playing this instrument requires teaching your hand and mind to remember motions and learn to associate notes with the black and white keys on the piano. Practice for at least half an hour everyday or about 4 to 5 days a week is one way to teach yourself to play piano easily.
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rLearning to play the piano doesn’t mean you have to be born with talent nor do you have to be as young as your niece or grandchild. Anyone who has normal mental and physical abilities can teach himself to learn to play piano easily and succeed. Piano playing is as much a learned skill as it is a talent. If you can teach yourself the skill, you’re halfway there.
Posted by admin on
February 1, 2009
Teaching positions in Taiwan? Taiwan has a massive English learning market where English teachers are always wanted and in demand. There are jobs in the teaching area available almost all year. What is it really like to teach English in Taiwan? Some teachers pick Taiwan over other countries to teach in because of how easy it is and the requirements to be a teacher aren’t that strict or difficult. It isn’t always work with easy money, but it is possible to make fairly good money teaching in Taiwan.
Cram schools are where the majority of foreign English teachers are employed. The majority of classes at cram schools are teaching children because parents want their children to start learning English from an early age. The majority of the kids are anywhere from six to twelve. Due to this, the material taught is usually very easy and basic. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any jobs to teach adults, but if this is your first time to Taiwan it will most likely be teaching children.
The requirements to be an English teacher are very easy. The first is that you hold a Bachelor’s degree and you need to come from a country where English is the native language. So if you come from Canada, the United Kingdom, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa you you satisfy this requirement.
If you are looking for teaching positions in Taiwan, then being an English teacher in Taiwan isn’t as hard as some people may think. Provided you have a recognized three or four year Bachelor’s degree and being from anyone of the English speaking countries above you will meet the requirement of most cram schools that are looking for English teachers.