Friday, 9 May 2014

How To Better Manage Yourself


You are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Learn to accept total responsibility for yourself. If you do not manage yourself, then you are letting others have control of your life. These self management tips will help "you" manage "you."

  • Look at every new opportunity as an exciting and new-life experience.
  • If you catch yourself worrying about an upcoming task, go ahead and do it now so it no longer is a distraction.
  • Get into the habit of finishing what you start.
  • Give up "waiting time" forever. Have something with you at all times to work on. For example: plan your day, work on a report, or read a page from your book.
  • Be a professional who exhibits self-confidence and self-assurance in your potential to complete any task.
  • Avoid worry. The majority of the things you worry about never occur.
  • Agree with yourself in advance that you will have a good attitude toward the upcoming task.
  • Hire specialists to do those things you are not expert in.
  • Take a chance-calculated risks pay off in entrepreneurial progress.
  • Frequently ask, "Is what I am doing right now moving me toward my goals?"
  • Plan the future, but live in the present.
  • Make a list of your accomplishments as you go through the day-they are greater than you think.
  • Keep a time log at least once every six months to determine exactly where your time is going.
  • Do it right the first time and you will not have to take time later to fix it.
  • Practice concentrating on your work, doing only one thing at a time.
  • Accept responsibility for your job successes and failures. Do not look for a scapegoat.
  • Do not view things you do as a "job." View all activities as a challenge.
  • Use your subconscious mind by telling it to do what you do want. Instead of telling yourself, "I can't do that very well," say, "I can do this very well.
  • Schedule several short vacations or long weekends-this creates positive deadlines by when you must have projects done.
  • Develop a faster operating tempo or pace. Do things with a sense of urgency. Get over thinking you must do everything yourself.
  • Take time to be quiet and reflective for a few minutes each day.
  • Live effectiveness in everything you do rather then just sporadically applying time management techniques.
  • Live in the Now. The current instant is the only time in which you have control-not the past, not the future, just now, in this instant.
  • Recognize you control only 50% of a relationship and that is your half. If you are dissatisfied with what is going on, change what you are doing and saying.
  • Give yourself points for completing tasks on your "to-do" list in priority order. When you reach 10 points, reward yourself.
  • Carry a card with your goals written on it and review your goals at least three times a day.
  • Act with enthusiasm in all that you do.
  • Take time out to thank yourself for a good job.
  • Practice your personal beliefs. It may be helpful each morning to take 15 minutes to gather your thoughts and say a prayer.
  • Operate knowing that there is good in everything. Every cloud has a silver lining-look for it.
  • Whenever you have an important thought that is not directly related to what you are working on, write it down. Then you will not forget it and you also will no longer be distracted by it.
  • Make a commitment to show someone a specific accomplishment on a certain date. The added urgency will help you feel motivated to have it done.
  • Reward yourself when you have successfully completed a high priority project.
  • Instead of thinking about what you didn't get done, recognize all you did get accomplished and reward yourself for having done the most important things.
  • Keep a list of accomplishments as well as a list of "things to-do". You will learn just how much you do get done.
  • Practice self determination, wanting to do it for yourself.
  • Nothing takes the place of persistence. Practice "stick-to-it-iveness."
  • Get into the habit of writing down a person's name-it will help you to remember it.
  • Believe that you can be what you want to be.
  • Operate on the philosophy that what we give out is what comes back to us.
  • Occasionally, sit quietly and do a self-assessment of your skills and strengths.
  • Praise yourself for your progress.
  • Recognize that not all days will go as you desire. Be kind to yourself on days when your self esteem is wavering. Remind yourself that you are good and can stand up to any obstacle.
  • Never criticize yourself as having a weakness. There is no such thing. You are only talking about a present undeveloped skill or part of yourself that if you so chose, you can change. You do not have any weakness, only untapped potential.
  • Check to be sure you do not fall into the activity trap of simply doing tasks without knowing to what greater good the task is designed to contribute.
  • Be pleasant all the time-no matter what the situation.
  • Life is what you perceive it to be. Do you see it as a bore or as an adventure?
  • Recall what you were hired to do and make sure it happens.
  • To get ahead in anything, operate in the "and then some" manner. Always do what is expected "and then some," so what you give is always more than is expected by the other person.
  • When working on a project that you can't stand, do it for a few minutes at a time until you can't stand it anymore. Then do something else and come back later for a few more minutes. Keep taking these bite size pieces until it is completely done.
  • Look at what you do as an adventure. You can discover new things from this new perspective.
  • Challenge yourself to do things differently than you have in the past. It provides new ideas and keeps you interested.
  • Finish that last task you are working on before you go home; do not just leave it.
  • Plan your day as you shower and dress in the morning. Keep your notes App nearby to jot down ideas.
  • Talk to yourself. Self talk using positive affirmations is something that is common among all great achievers. They convince themselves that they can accomplish their goals.
  • Practice being punctual. Others will sense your professionalism.
  • Plan, at least to a minimum, everything you undertake.
  • Think it through, then do it.
  • Think of your time as money. Are you getting a good return on the way you invest/spend it?
  • Take some time, no matter how short, every day to do something you enjoy.
  • Remember, if you think you can or you think you cannot, you are right.
  • Use the self-fulfilling prophesy on yourself. Expect yourself to succeed.
  • Doing gives you the power to do.
  • Whenever you agree to get back to someone or complete a project, commit to a specific date by when you will have it done. and write this in your calendar immediately.
  • Think in terms of long-term results.
  • Create your own "motivation board" by putting up notes of things you need to do on a bulletin board or special wall space. It is an easily visible way to see what you need to work on. When an item is done, remove the note. Also keep your goals listed and pictured on your board.
  • "Ninety percent of success in showing up."
  • Be open and ready to make adjustments as things change.
  • Focus 100% of your attention on a project.
  • Since your boss will be asking you for progress reports, from time to time, stay informed by asking your people for progress reports each day while you meet them in their office or work area.
  • Hire an assistant to run small errands and cleanup paperwork, etc. Even if you pay them from your own pocket, it is a good investment because it increases your productivity.
  • Enjoy your life and blessings. You could be worse off.
  • Recognize that even though you say you are doing something for someone else, in reality you are doing it for yourself. Since you are doing it for yourself, you can also enjoy it more.
  • Start each day with a smile.
  • Your job reflects you. Can you take pride in it being well done, error free and on time?
  • Do it right or do it wrong just do it!
  • Compete with yourself to become a little better each time you do something. Achieve your potential.
  • Streamline your daily routine to do the same thing at the same time in the same order. Periodically review for continued effectiveness and efficiently.
  • When responsible for a project, become intensively involved with it.
  • Tell someone else what you are doing to keep on schedule. It keeps you committed.
  • Make each day the best day of the week.
  • Network with others in the organization to stay informed of who is doing what, when, where, and for whom.
  • Use even small "pockets of time" to make lists, write notes and consider ideas.
  • Consciously decide what are some things you are NOT going to do.
  • Be willing to ask that a staff meeting be called to clarify a specific issue.
  • Purposely schedule something you enjoy between routine projects. It will help rejuvenate you.
  • Schedule a block of time periodically to take a big bite out of a major project.
  • Realize "energy begets energy." Act and energy will flow.
  • Time your routine activities such as telephone calls. Determine how you can "capture" some of the time and use it on other top priority activities.
  • Be a "doer" not a "sitter."
  • Sense the pride you will feel when you have completed a project.
  • "He who kills time buries opportunities."
  • Meditate according to your personal beliefs at the beginning of each day.
  • Create the right "mind set" for success by adjusting your attitude for the upcoming project.
  • Stay interested in what you are doing. Keep looking for what is interesting in your work. Change your perspective and look at it as someone outside your job would.
  • Do not get hung-up on trivial details or tangents. Stay focused and moving.
  • Always carry a pen or pencil and paper (or a notes App) on which you can make notes.
  • Do not accept calls for the first 15 minutes of the day while you prepare your daily strategy.
  • Contemplating, meditating on, thinking about, or praying about the activities and success of the workday focuses energy toward that end result.
  • Nest activities to available waiting time. Take a bite out of your elephant-sized project.
  • Establish personal incentives and rewards to help maintain your own high enthusiasm and performance level.

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Educational Video Sites

All listed sites offer their extensive video libraries for free and without registration.
Thousands of video lectures from the world's top scholars.
academicearth.org
Video interviews with 600+ thought leaders in a range of fields.
bigthink.com
Short-form online video lessons by professional educators. Free math lessons.
brightstorm.com
Aggregator of free, online video lessons and documentaries.
cosmolearning.com
Lectures taught by world-class professors and reinforced through interactive exercises.
coursera.org
Courses designed specifically for interactive study via the web.
edx.org
High quality multimedia content ideal for use in the classroom.
thefutureschannel.com
Professional and user-generated how-to videos.
Collection of more than two-hundred thousand free historical videos, many academic.
archive.org
Free lectures, language lessons, audiobooks, and more accessible via Apple iTunes.
Apple iTunes - Apple iTunes Software
Self-pased learning with extensive video library, interactive challenges, and assessments.
khanacademy.org
Professionally developed programming for K-12 classrooms.
learner.org
Professional video lessons in mathematics. Covers basic math through calculus.
mathtv.com
Lectures and course materials for students, teachers, and self-learners.
ocw.mit.edu  |  Also see: OpenCourseWare Finder
Guide to more than 11,000 interesting MIT videos and lectures.
video.mit.edu/
Aggregator of high-quality educational videos from around the Web.
3,500 videos from distinguished researchers and scholars.
youtube.com/user/ResearchChannel
Free videos from your favorite PBS programs, including NOVA and Frontline.
video.pbs.org
Video sharing platform for schools featuring original content created by students.
Engaging, professional videos and practical resources for educator development.
Library of free, full-length documentary films.
Online aggregator of educational videos.
Fascinating presentations by the world's leading thinkers and doers.
Collection of videos from professors, professionals, coaches, teachers, and consultants.
Comprehensive online directory of educational videos aggregated from across the Web.
Search engine and directory of free how-to videos.
Free access to a selection of introductory Yale courses.
oyc.yale.edu
Free lectures from more than one hundred colleges and universities.
Additional sites that are not free but offer outstanding content:
Provider of original, animated educational videos. Subscription required.
30,000 video segments from Discovery Education. Subscription required.
general interest
Joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp. Features TV shows and movies.
Specializes in short-form original video content.
Upload, share, and explore user-generated videos.
Hosts millions of user-generated and professional videos.
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Best Websites for Teaching & Learning 2013

The 2013 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. They are free, Web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.
Media Sharing
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
  • 3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and und understanding in ways that others can view, use and assess.
  • 3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic, real-world context.


Create connections, encourage collaboration, ignite discussions, or simply share mutual interests through Pinterest. Uploaded or “pin” images and videos from websites, blogs, or your own computer, smartphone, or tablet to create boards. These boards can be private or public, and others can be invited to pin on any of your boards. Any “pin” can be "repinned", and all pins will link back to their source. Grades 6-12.
Tip: Have students work in groups to create research projects and share their sources visually.

Flyers and newsletters become a snap with Smore! Design and create professional online flyers by choosing from an array of templates, styles, and colors to compliment your individual style and audience. With Smore you can embed links, audio, video, pictures, and text into your flyers and newsletters and then publish instantly to get your message and information out quickly. Grades 6-12.
Tip: Use Smore to create handouts and flyers to announce school and community events.


Easel.ly allows users to quickly create infographics and share visual ideas online. Easel.ly has an expansive library of elements and visual objects that can be added to personalize infographics of all kinds. Students and teachers can choose from pre-formatted infographics or start fresh and create their own. Easel.ly is intuitive and easy to use, relying on drag-and-drop features and streamlined menus. Grades 6-12.
Tip: Use Easel.ly as part of a research or inquiry project and combine math, research, and digital storytelling skills in the classroom!
Digital Storytelling
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
  • 4.1.8 Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.
  • 4.3.1 Participate in the social exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person.



Are you searching for technology that will motivate budding and reluctant writers to author the next great story? Inklewriter provides the format for writing interactive branched stories. While students focus on writing, Inklewriter handles the story paths that end and those yet to be developed. Students who love the "choose your own ending" stories will enjoy writing, editing and reading on this dynamic site. Branched stories with the potential for multiple endings will also intrigue those interested in game development. Finished projects can be shared with a limited or global audience at the author's discretion.
Tip: Use Inklewriter to explore decision making and consequences in secondary Health, Social Studies, Science, and English classes.


My histro provides a venue for stories displayed on maps. Watch and read thousands of fascinating timelines, or create your own complete with text, video, and pictures to create a dynamic timeline mashup. Use professionally developed maps or have students develop their own working collaboratively or individually. Export maps in a variety of formats including .csv, .klm, and pdf for offline viewing or embed them on your website, blog, or wiki for easy access. Grades 4-12.
Tip: Use myhistro to tell stories that include what, when, and why across curriculum areas and grade levels that work like a dream on your interactive presentation surface.

  
Flipsnack is an application used to convert PDF files into a flipping book that is easy to use. Simply upload a PDF file, customize the book, and share. The online flip books are designed to resemble regular print books. You can choose a classic, hardcover, coil, or interactive flip format for your book, as well as a book size. Color options for the cover and background are also offered. Finished flip books can be published privately or publicly and edited at any time. The final flip book is attractive and professional-looking. Books can be shared on Facebook and Twitter or emailed and embedded with a watermark. Grades K-12.  
Tip: Students can combine reports or creative writing with pictures and graphics to create flip books that can be shared with parents.
Manage & Organize
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
  • 2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
  • 2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
  • 3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use and assess.



How many of you use Shelfari? Library Thing? Well, Biblionasium is the social network students in grades 4 – 12 can use to set up virtual bookshelves and keep track of what they’ve read, what they like, and what they plan to read. Students will read more consistently when they connect with friends to share and recommend their favorite books. English, ELL, and Reading teachers will appreciate the inclusion of Lexile ranges. Grades 4-12.
Tip: Use Biblionasium in flipped libraries and classrooms to inspire independent reading.

LitPick provides free electronic books to students in grades 4-12. Students take on the role of a book critic, reading books, developing and posting reviews anonymously on the LitPick site where other students can read them. Members can also participate in the LitPick threaded discussion forum with authors, publishers, publicists, and parents who are interested in learning about YA literature.
Tip: Use LitPick to provide access to free eBooks and promote reading reviews for students by students.


Padlet, formerly called Wallwisher, makes posting things on the Internet as easy as pinning notes on a bulletin board. Using the idea of a blank piece of paper, you can put whatever you want on your wall by dragging and dropping documents and images from your desktop, copying and pasting links to websites or videos or just typing notes on your page. When you finish posting things to your wall you will be able to collaborate with others using a unique URL as well as through a variety of social networks. Grades 4-12.
Tip: Use Padlet to brainstorm ideas for group projects or to collect and showcase student work.

  (Now known as Blendspace 
)
Edcanvas is a connected space where students and adults can organize, present and share information. Gather, annotate and share presentations easily by dragging and dropping images, movies, maps, audio and text and embedding hyperlinks onto a blank canvas. Use multiple frames on each canvas to pre-teach a topic, provide 1:1 and differentiated instruction, and share pathfinders and explore connections. Use your own content or searching on the Internet, without leaving the Edcanvas page to create collaborative projects. Older elementary and secondary students can create collaborative projects by copying individual canvases to make a complete dynamic canvas. Grades 6-12.
Tip: Use themed canvases to share how-to videos with students and staff.


Workflowy is an easy to use outliner/organizer that also functions as a to-do list. Logging on, you see a blank page that looks like a word processing document. After you type your first item, everything thing you type becomes part of one giant list. You can have sub-lists and nested-lists and the best part is that you can click on any topic and you will see a new page with all of the related items. Workflowy can easily be used in many educational settings, but can really be helpful in organizing assignments. Grades 6-12.
Tip: Use Workflowy to plan and organize a group project or to collaborate with others on shared tasks.
Social Networking & Communications
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
  • 3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.
  • 4.1.7 Use social networks and information tools to gather and share information.
  • 4.3.1 Participate in the social exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person.



Socrative transforms multiple student devices into student response systems for free! Engage upper elementary and secondary students in classroom activities with educational exercises and games in real time via smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Socrative is easy to set up and features formats including multiple choice, True/False, and short answer. Results can be viewed online in a Google spreadsheet or received via email as an Excel file. Grades 6-12.
Tip: Use Socrative to administer pre- and post tests to Common Core and AASL standards in your library program.


Quadblogging connects students in four different schools around the corner or around the world to blog with a purpose. Instead of having students write blog posts "that go in their tray to die" teachers sign up on this site and are linked with three other schools to provide an opportunity for elementary and secondary students to blog with each other. Over the last 12 months 100,000 pupils have been involved in QuadBlogging from 3000 40 countries. Grades 3-12.
Tip: Use Quadblogging across curriculum areas to develop student awareness of similarities and differences of people from different cultures.


Marqueed is an easy-to-use, collaborative, web-based platform for annotating images. Simply drag-and-drop images from the Web or add from your computer. PDF files can also be added. Type or draw annotations. Collections of annotated images can be created and shared publicly or kept privately. Best of all, multiple students can collaboratively annotate an image. Grades 3-12.
Tip: Analyze a historical photograph to deepen students' thinking about a historical event or period. Upload a poem for students to discuss.
Curriculum Collaboration
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
  • 1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within a learning community.
  • 3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.
  • 3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
  • 4.3.1 Participate in the social exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person.


  
19Pencils is an easy-to-use online platform for locating and sharing PreK – 6 educational resources, assignments and quizzes. The site’s quality search engine enables teachers to explore the 19Pencils library for resources specific to their students’ needs. Teachers can also add their own content and customize quizzes to target specific learning goals. A helpful feature, especially for younger students, is the display of each resource as a thumbnail image instead of just the URL. After creating class pages of resources, teachers can monitor student progress and assignment completion. Grades PreK-6.
Tip: This website is a great tool to use across the curriculum for blended learning and the flipped classroom.


Order in the court. Hail to the chief! Roll call…yea or nay… iCivics is game, activity and resource filled Web site, founded by Justice, Sandra Day O’Conner to help young people of all ages learn about branches of government, citizenship, separation of powers, media influences on government, the budget, and the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Games can be accessed by topic or playing time. In addition to games and webquests, iCivics provides lesson plans with supporting resources for teachers. Grades 3-12.
Tip: Combine curricular learning with service learning by challenging students to participate in the iCivics Impact Project.


Wonderopolis is a whimsical, fun website providing "Wonders of the Day" such as "Do Rabbits Have Good Eyesight?" to "When is Technology Old?" A vocabulary list provides a learning base for each lesson. Related questions will spark students' curiosity and motivate them to learn more about the topic. The "Wonderize It" tool lets teachers customize a lesson based on a daily "Wonder" question. The engaging informational text can be used to address Common Core Standards in reading while incorporating related images and videos. Grades K - 12.
Tip: Let students pick a "Wonder" to explore and then research the topic more in depth.


Youngzine is a child-centered website that provides articles, images, and videos about world news, science and technology, society and arts, movies, and books. School-age children are encouraged to respond to the content and may submit articles, short stories and book reviews. All content is reviewed by Youngzine’s editors and updated every two weeks. Grades K-8.
Tip: Do you and your students discuss current events? Use Youngzine as a springboard for these weekly or daily discussions. Students can post comments and reflections in the comments section.


Garbology is an exciting and interactive website that answers the question, "Where should my waste go?" It helps elementary-age students better understand how they can reduce trash and stop polluting. In addition to the interactive game, the “For Teachers” section includes nine lesson plans and five fact sheets; the “For Students” section includes a waste assessment and seven useful handouts; and the “For Families” section will inspire families to reduce and recycle. Grades K-8.
Tip: Garbology is the perfect addition to your Earth Day unit.
Content Resources
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
  • 2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
  • 2.4.4 Develop directions for future investigations.
  • 3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.



How do you spur curiosity? Just ask the six quirky characters of Smithsonian'sSeriously Amazing Website. The Wild will share the diversity of the animal kingdom;The Green reflects the wonder of the natural landscape; The New will show how technology and creativity collide; The Masterpiece embodies artistic expression; The Storyteller shares the tales of the people of America; The Discoverer explores the world and universe. Seriously Amazing links the knowledge and resources of the Smithsonian Institution and sparks a spirit of inquiry. Grades 3-12.
Tip: Challenge students to select one of the 6 areas of exploration and learn 5 new facts to share with the class.


Edudemic is more than just an educational technology website. For students and teachers it's a one-stop-shop for forums, articles, ideas, and resources on everything technology. Edudemic is explorable by topics such as How-To, Tools, or Online Learning. Or browse through the videos collection for amazing examples of teaching and learning. Have a great idea or story to tell? Try submitting a post to Edudemic for a global audience. Grades 6-12.
Tip: The All Topics word-cloud allows users to quickly see what's trending in educational technology. Click through and explore!


Science NetLinks is a dynamic Website connecting K-12 teachers, students, and families to STEM resources produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science including lesson plans, interactives, and reviewed Internet resources. The lesson plan and tool databases are searchable by grade level, themes, and content area. Collections spotlight various themes such as Earth Day, Summer Science fun, and Science Apps. There is an Afterschool collection that offers hands-on science experiments which offers student activity sheets, online resources, as well as teacher resources. Grades K-12.
Tip: Check out the latest research findings about many interesting topics in Science News.


TEDEd allows educators to create and share lessons built around YouTube videos. The embedded lesson creator allows users to 1) FIND video content through an integrated search panel, 2) SELECT a video or lesson to be customized, and 3) FLIP a video by adding questions, notes, and content. The TEDEd library is continually growing and is searchable and browsable by series and subject. Grades K-12.
Tip: The best lessons are curated by volunteer teachers and TEDEd and compiled under the Best Flips tab. If you're looking for teaching inspiration, look no further!

What happens when you combine the knowledge and talent of a handful of techies that want to make a change in education? Visit Codeacademy and participate in the teaching and learning experience of the future! Codeacademy has set out to create an online social instructional experience that teaches programming to people around the world. Learn the fundamentals of various programming languages, participate in online coding language labs, and learn how to start a coding academy at your own school. Grades 6-12.
Tip: At the completion of the Codeacademy course, have students build their own websites with the code they have learned.

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is an online collection of millions of photographs, maps, sounds, manuscripts, books, and more accessible anytime, anywhere, for anyone. DPLA materials come from museums, archives, and libraries across the United States, and provides primary source examples of our American Heritage and human history. With DPLA, users can explore resources by topic, map, format, timeline, or exhibition. With a free account, items can be saved to lists and shared with others. Grades 6-12.
Tip: DPLA's programming interface and open data promote transformative use by designers and developers. Look for amazing tools and programs built by the DPLA’s partners that will turn in to indispensable resources for your students and staff. 
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