When I refer to education, what I’m talking about is more than just what schools do. That is just one part of it. I’m expanding education to include how a culture, a society, or a country educates the newer generations on the culture itself. Schools, as we know them now, teach reading, writing, arithmetic, history and science. In universities we learn logic, philosophy, etc. How a society educates its young not only defines its identity but also the way it defines itself for the future. If a society recognizes the importance of education to its existence, then it will make sure to place education high on its list of priorities. Unfortunately, that has not been the case in the United States. Other priorities have been distractions, and this has robbed several generations, of an education that should be worthy of free society, and a country like ours.I have always been more of a pro-process education vs. content education thinker, and have felt that the first and foremost goal of schooling should be focusing everything on teaching the child the skills to teach himself. It is not at the expense of the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic. It’s simply filtering everything through that goal.The learning centers we have are the parents (family), the schools, religion, and later the external world (without supervision). The parents give us our first glimpse of the world and our first impressions of it. The schools begin the socialization process along side the religion which presumably deals with spiritual and ethical values. Then we are grown up, and expected to go out into the “external world” and not only survive, but be contributing members as well. This is where it’s determined whether a society has been successful or not in teaching its younger generations.What parents can do is initially set the stage and create the best possible foundation for the child to enter the society via the school system. They can first instill that all-important perception that the world is a trust-able place (and also identify the parameters of that trust). They can also encourage curiosity, imagination, and the ability to observe what is going on around them, assess risk all of which will enable the child to make better choices.All these things are positive things but the one that is most important is instilling in children the gradual ability to be independent of their parents. The parents should want their children to grow to be independent, so they can feel comfortable that their children will survive and do well when they are no longer around.Schools can do other things too. They introduce the child to his first social group situation. But they can also include skills like anger management and further the development of risk assessment as part of the child’s growing cognitive abilities. They have the potential for greater cultural education, skills such as logic and ethics in addition to the basic reading, writing, arithmetic skills, at a much earlier age than is now considered possible through schooling.Religion or Spiritual institutions, can also teach morality, ethics and things related to the spirit.One subset to all this is Sex Education. What happens in real life is that the parents are split about wanting the schools to teach it, at least within certain parameters. Religion doesn’t really teach anything about sex except to abstain until marriage. When the schools attempt to teach it, the parents get more ambivalent about what the parameters should be, while religion insists that the schools should only be involved in teaching abstinence. So my conclusion is that the parents should be the ones who have the ultimate responsibility, and should put aside their embarrassment and discuss it with their children, or else they will learn it from the external world without any supervision.The US government should put education high on the priority list, because if they don’t, future generations will not be able to compete with those that have been educated in other countries and are more equipped to compete in the world market. My approach is simple: focus more on education, because the future survival of our culture depends on it.
Becoming Self Employed and the Road Ahead
The pathway that leads to self employment can have its ups and it can also have its downs. There tends to be times you love your “job” and other times you detest it. Using the term ‘job’ lightly, by no stretch of the imagination is it just a job, and it can not exactly be called a career path either, You can be confident in calling it a lifestyle or even a way of life. The thing that you will welcome about being in the ‘self employed’ bracket are the ups, downs, sideways and topsy turvy twists that come with it. So, let us have a look at some of these twists in the road, the ups and downs of the roller coaster ride.As soon as you go self employed there will be immediate changes that you will need to purposely adjust to, and quite quickly as well. You will notice that you will not have a manager or a peer to look at what your output is every day. Fantastic you are thinking, BUT this can be good and it can just as well be bad.Keeping Yourself On The TracksYou will now be solely responsible to keep yourself on track and productive. When riding on a roller coaster, there is always a set of rules. Obeying them will ensure your safety and well being. Disobeying will result in harm to your self or being kicked out of the park. Abiding by the rules, in this case, setting your goals out, planning properly, controlling things and being productive, will mean that you will have a fair chance of being successful. If you are unprofessional about it all and do not follow the rules you will put everything in jeopardy when you do not have to. So – think you can take all the bumps and bruises that the self employment roller coaster has to offer then? The only person that can keep you on the track is yourself.The Good Times Are GoodThe benefits to be had though are worth having. You future is in your own safe hands and no ones other than your own. You own the company, nobody else and every single amount of revenue you generate is for you. If you show some financial understanding and monetary management you can obtain early financial freedom. No more worrying about requesting off days, calling off sick, or whether you have a job or not by the end of the week. When your friends are concerned about their jobs and talking about it all the time you can lounge back and feel good about the fact that you are self employed.A Positive Attitude Does Go A Long WayWhen you get on the roller coaster at the fun fair you can be 100% certain about one thing. You may be roughed up a bit from the ups, downs, twists, and turns, but you will love the ride none the less. You must adopt this same attitude when you decide to go self employed. With out it you might as well keep the job that you are currently working at and save yourself the wasted time and effort. Are you going to let someone else lay down the tracks to your roller coaster or are you going to do it yourself?
Travel Tips To Avoid Hassles And Inconveniences
Traveling is not entirely rest and relaxation. You might also experience some hair-pulling situations that will leave you feeling frustrated and disappointed. But you can minimize or even completely eliminate common travel hassles and inconveniences if you know what to do.Here are some of the travel tips you would want to know:Tip 1: Choose the right luggage bag. Make sure it is made from sturdy materials so you will not lose garments along the way because of holes or gaping seams. Moreover, you should choose the right size. When checking luggage, it should have the right size and weight. Also choose a good carry-on luggage. It should have pockets and compartments for your hand-carry items such as toiletries, wallet, passport and some gadgets.Tip 2: Be sensible about the things you are bringing with you. Make a list of the items you need. Browse over the list a few times so you can edit it out. Plan your outfits and bring sensible shoes. One pair of shoes is enough if you are going on a three-day trip abroad.Tip 3: When packing liquid belongings, make sure you seal them properly. Place them in clear plastic bag and seal them tightly with masking tape or duct tape to avoid leaks.Tip 4: Weigh your luggage after packing. This will give you a rough idea of how much your checked luggage will cost when you check it in the airport.Tip 5: Confirm flight tickets, especially if you have a long trip ahead. You would want to call the airline company and confirm your flight at least 3 days before your scheduled flight.Tip 6: When traveling to a non English-speaking country, you should bring books and paraphernalia that can help you translate the things you want to say in the vernacular. Also learn more about the culture of the people there. Do your research before booking a flight.Tip 7: Call the hotel you are going to stay and ask if they give car service to pick you up at the airport. This way, you wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time finding your hotel.Tip 8: Make an itinerary. When visiting amusement parks, make sure you know the days that they are open. Most amusement parks schedule day offs and maintenance days during Mondays.Tip 9: Plan your trips early especially if you want to go during peak seasons. During holidays, festivals, sport fests and other special events, most hotel establishments and Airlines are fully booked.