EDUCATION BLOG

In addition to our great range of courses for singing teachers and singers, we’re very excited about the brand new courses currently being  developed.

Unlike our other courses, for which students can choose from a wide range of units to effectively build a tailor-made study plan, the new courses will be stand-alone options.

One of the courses will address ‘extreme singing’ for rock vocalists, and the other – in direct contrast – will be in the field of sound healing.

We are working with experts in both fields to create the best possible distance-learning courses in these diverse areas, and hope to have them both up and running by early 2010.

Watch this space! And if you’d like to register an initial interest in either of these courses, please send an email to blog@vidla.org

Did you ever hand over your business card, go for the shake with a prospective client and after they quickly glance at your card they pull their hand away and say ”thanks, we will call YOU”. Ouch that HAS to hurt. The bad part is that you will leave thinking they will call you and when they don’t you just don’t understand why.

Have you ever received a phone call at your place of business and the person on the other line started asking for low mien, an extra egg roll and yelled at you to not forget the duck sauce this time? Instead of hanging up, ask them who they are calling. Yeah, they have it right, they are calling you.

We all think we have the best ideas for the “face” of our business and that our image is cool and that others “get it”. Have you ever asked your clients what they think? Or even your kid brother who you know has heard what you do five hundred times over Sunday get together’s? Well ask them. It may not be what you want to hear.

It’s time to face up to your business image and Get Fresh…labs that is.

There is more to creating and promoting a brand than making a cool logo and catchy tagline. In fact, a logo and tagline are just representations of your brand. Don’t just maintain your brand, create or recreate it to promote itself!

Get Fresh Rules For Branding:

1) Pinpoint- Be specific
Know what your brand stands for, and know what your brand delivers. Your brand deliveries should be specific and attainable, and you should be able to communicate them clearly. This is what will make your brand stand out from your competition.
2) Be Strong- Grow some muscles
Once you know what your brand stands for and delivers, don’t be shy…show off. You need to make everyone else believe you’re the leader of the pack in your area of expertise. Don’t mumble about what your company does. Say it with “musclability” and conviction.
3) Constancy- Keep the flow steady
Get your brand message out there and keep a steady pace. It will take some time…hold those horses but keep that giddy up ready! A consistent message and a positive customer experience are critical elements to building your brand. So get out your calendar and get that routine down pat.
4) Honesty- A virtue YOUR business must possess
This one is simple: Do as you say and say as you do…every time! Don’t offer anything….we mean anything… if you can not follow through on it! Integrity goes a long way and karma counts even in business.
5) Push yourself but not the customer
Get your brand message out there. Then get it out again and again and again. People are inundated with ad after ad, call after call each day. It’s not only critical that you try to stand out from the competition but it’s equally important that you are not forgotten. One thing to remember is that not everyone will need what you are offering and in that case remember to thank them kindly because they just may know someone who does!

What we can do to help you.
-Brand Concepts
-Logo Design
-Business Identity Products
-Social Media Design Support
-Promotional Design
-Vehicle Graphics
-Private Label Lines
-Apparel Concepts and Design
-Banner and Signage
-Email Marketing Newsletters
-Print Newsletters
-Magazine and Periodicals
-Advertising Design
-Web/Media Design
-Fine Art- Yes we are that creative!

Ask Yourself This:

Or rather do this: Next time you get someone’s business card take a quick peek…don’t let them see (this takes practice). Ask yourself, “what does their image say about them?”

If It has you tasting Chinese food, be kind and say “hey have you ever stopped by Get Fresh Labs?” If they gave you that impression then you know the answer. Then shake their hand and say “I will call you and give you their number.” Remember…karma? Do the right thing and we will treat you to an eggroll with extra duck sauce next time we see YOU!

NEW CLASS! What’s all the buzz about “clicker” systems in the classroom? SMART Response (formerly called Senteo) is an interactive response system combining handheld wireless remotes (or clickers), a receiver and powerful assessment software that allows you to create tests and manage, track, and evaluate the results. This system integrates seamlessly with the SMART Board, but must be purchased separately.

Come learn on March 11, 2010 how to set up formative & summative assessments for your students and obtain immediate results that can be used to guide instruction. In the first half of the class, learn the basics of the hardware and software. In the second half of this all-day workshop, you will have an opportunity to create your own assessments either from scratch or by tweaking downloaded question sets. Questions about content? Contact Martha Bogart. To register for this workshop, visit the tele website. This class is $138 for CSD members and $214 for nonmembers.

Individuals with disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems typically face considerable challenges in their educational, vocational, and living situations. Developing effective problem solving skills is important to maximizing outcomes. Current problem-solving programs do not address the unique needs of individuals who use AAC in terms of instructional content and instructional format. The current study implemented a single-subject, multiple probe across subjects design to investigate the effects of an online instructional program designed to teach problem solving to young adults who use AAC. The participants were taught to: (a) describe the problem; (b) outline many possible solutions to the problem; (c) identify the outcomes of the top two solutions; and (d) take action with the best solution. All five participants (ages 18 – 20) successfully completed the program and learned to implement the elements of effective problem solving in their solutions to hypothetical problems with at least 80% accuracy after instruction. Furthermore, participants demonstrated evidence that they could generalize the strategy to problems in their own lives and that they could maintain their skills in implementing the strategy at least 3 months after the instructional program was completed. Results, implications for practice, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

from AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Distance education as the name implies is the method of implementing education to students who are distanced from the source of education by space or time and cannot be physically present in the classrooms. The course material for these programs are provided through DVDs, e-mails, print materials etc and the aim is to provide a comprehensive educational experience to the learners. In the recent times distance education is increasingly gaining popularity all over the world. The reason for this is that it is a very convenient mode of study.

The chief advantage of distance education is that you can study at your own pace and take your own time. You can balance your studies alongside other activities. This also saves you from the daily grind of commuting. For people who have to work and yet wish to pursue higher studies this is the ideal method. Distance education also caters to the needs of parents with kids who find it almost impossible to attend regular classes. Moreover with the seats to professional courses in regular colleges being limited barely a few people can get through.

Distance education gives you the opportunity to pursue the course of your choice even if you do not have the qualifying marks to get through in regular courses. There are also students who do not find the environment in a classroom very congenial. This could be because they are overcome by a sense of embarrassment when surrounded by a lot of other people or because they find it difficult to speak up or ask questions in the presence of others. Studying in their own familiar environment and being at ease with themselves give them a better opportunity to perform.

A person might want to take up their studies after being forced to give it up at some point of time under unfortunate circumstances. Such a person would naturally be older than the average college-goers. Usually such a person finds it difficult to adjust in the classroom environment. Distance education is the best instrument at his disposal.

Learning is a life-long process and often we need education to give us the knowledge, expertise and believability to effect positive changes in our lives. Distance education is not just a boon to a person’s career but it is also one of the best options for attaining knowledge.

All articles contributed in full or part by Athens Learning college preparedness resource.

Most of us have viewed the local tv commercials informing us about the millions in cash grant money available for students around the nation. Yes, there may be a grain of truth in that claim, most of us are pretty certain that the Federal government has no intention of handing over millions of dollars in free grant money for college to help pay for our education Still, there are grants available to help college students pay for their college education.

What Types of Free Grant Money For College Are Available?

Federal College Grants: The Pell Grant

Thankfully, the majority of government aid packages don’t look at your credit history when deciding whether or not you are eligible for a grant.

What is Free Grant Money for College and Am I Eligible?

As one of the most well-known grant programs, the Pell Grant program is fairly well-known. Rather than basing your eligibility on credit-worthiness, your economic situation is taken into considerationIf the student and his or her parents are a low-income family, Pell Grants are almost automatic. Almost. As with any form of Federal Student Aid, your economic situation has to be demonstrated through the correct documentation and fall within the proper guidelines.

A Pell Grant does not have to be repaid. Currently, the max Pell Grant amount is $5,350 per year.The maximum value of the Pell Grant is subject to change annually and will depend partially on the program’s funding that year.

What If I Don’t Qualify for Free Grant Money for College?

Since a Pell Grant is dependent on your financial status and cost of education, among other factors, the grant may not cover the cost of your education. For this reason, the majority of college students often consider student loans as a viable alternative to help cover the cost of their education.

Stafford Loans are the most common type of Federal Student Loan program. There are two types of Stafford Loans available and students may qualify for both types (Subsidized or Unsubsidized). And the good news is, Stafford Loans do not take a student’s or the parents’ credit history into account when determining eligibility.

One of the most common student loans is the Stafford Subsidized Loan. A subsidized loan means that the government will pick up the tab on your interest while the loan in not in repayment. That period is typically while the student is carrying a half-time or greater load of classes, and for the first six months after leaving school.

An unsubsidized Stafford Loan, however, requires that college students pay for any interest accrued on the outstanding principle.The good news is, if you are strapped for cash while you are in college, you do not have to pay your interest payments, but they will be added to the loan principle.

Perkins Loans versus Stafford Loans

In addition to Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans are also available to college students to help fund their education. The Perkins Loan is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students with exceptional financial need. This is a campus-based loan program, with the school acting as the lender using a limited pool of funds provided by the federal government.

How Much Am I Eligible For?

For Stafford Loans, dependent undergraduate students can borrow from $5,500 to $7,500 per year. For independent undergraduate students, you can take out from $9,500 to $12,500 per year. Grad students or professional students can get loans of up to twenty-thousand, five hundred dollars each year.

Under the Perkins Loan Program, a student can borrow between $5,500 and $8,000 for each year of study depending on the degree level. The amount you receive under the Perkins Loan program (unlike the Stafford program) will depend somewhat on the funding level at the school, but the loan offers a very low interest rate of five percent.

How to Pay For College

Clearly, each person’s background is unique. Although many individuals will be able to receive free grant money for college because of their economic status, some students will instead have to take advantage of low-rate student loans to fund their college tuition costs and expenses. Though everyone would rather receive free grant money for college… and many people reading this article will receive grant money, others will not qualify. But at the end of the day, the most important goal is to locate a university that offers a Student Aid Package that will enable you to receive your university degree.

Find Free Grant Money For College or find universities that offer financial aid packages that better meet your unique needs.

In Learning with Technology this week, we discussed a short story by E.M. Forster titled “The Machine Stops” and an article discussing “The Machine Stops”, “The ‘Imponderable Bloom’: Reconsidering the Role of Technology in Education” by R. Sanders. Written in 1909, “The Machine Stops” is a seemingly prophetic sci-fi about the dangers of technology and its potential to rule our world and separate us as humans.  As a result of these two readings, the theme of our class discussion this week seemed to be the pitfalls of technology and distance learning.  It was very interesting – while I typically would be inclined to agree that “The Machine Stops” is representative of where our society is and is heading, the discussion this week was rather set against online learning and technology, which seemed to make me so defensive for those accessing technology that I am now more inclined to disagree, seeing Vashti, and the story itself, as an extreme case. Stories do not sell if they are not sensational and disturbing.  We have had those living on the fringe of society, fearing human contact since society began – technology in these cases would be the means to the end, not the cause.  I believe that we will always value human connection – why else would technology be so socially driven?  Some classmates also see technology as the “easy way” to do things. While technology can make life simpler, and some may use it for this purpose, it is not reasonable to make blanket statements about those using technology – this is not its only purpose.  If they are true to their own philosophy of human contact, those who fear that technology is taking away human contact must remember to see the humans behind technology. Technology creates access.  It is not always the way to avoid the emotional effort of calling someone, or the easy way to take – or teach – a class, nor is it always a way to foster children when a single parent or both parents work.  It is a way to still keep in touch and acknowledge a person when you may not have the time or money to call, it is the way to broaden the availability of courses – and further diversify the classroom with additional students as an instructor, and it is the way to take children on an exploration of the world when parents can’t afford a vacation.  To me, technology improves the connection between people – granted, it is not the same as face to face, and as humans, we will always naturally crave the human connection, but technology simply improves the opportunities to connect with people.  One classmate asked if a person with 2,000 friends on Facebook would pursue deep friendships with these people in real life.  I think the question to ask is, would that person even have an opportunity to meet, or maintain contact with those people in real life?

People who have lost touch for a number of years are now able to find each other, individuals geographically bound can now earn higher degrees, high school students who are too ostracized to show their faces in a classroom  – or are suddenly teen parents – can now earn their high school diploma in a safe format (thus possibly decreasing the occurrences of dropouts and violence, whether self-inflicted or inflicted on others), and those who have never been able to truly comprehend their textbooks (possibly due to disabilities) are now able to discover the joy of reading with audio books, podcasts and digital readers (e.g. Kindle and Natural Reader).  Sanders stated, “Most of us recall that F2F course in which we felt alone and disconnected, and online learning environments sometimes provide the only means through which students can access higher education” (heading: “Online Learning/Online Worlds, last paragraph). While we must be cognizant of the danger of becoming so steeped in technology that we no longer see humans as humans, and no longer value face to face interaction, we must also acknowledge that technology has made learning and education available to an astounding number of individuals that would not be able to access it otherwise.