Friends Are For Life

I have knew most of them from three years ago. That seems a short period for many, but for me I feel as if they were forever. Our first step in this forever journey was establishing a Whats-app group for us the 6 for "educational purposes" since we all were TEFL, I named the group "TEFL Friends" and announced my first statement "this group is for educational purposes, here we can talk about exams or assignments". But, day after day we were getting closer ,  I can't tell how was that, but eventually we get very closed. Thus we changed the group's name since it's no longer for educational purposes only, we get to share lots of similarities, perceptions of the people around us and opinions toward some topics. In the next hand, without having differences, there's no life, I love it when we start arguing around a topic and get departed and instead of fighting we take things sarcastically without any hurting. We are always there for each other, we shared many smiles and tears. We can't get mad from each other for a long period, many times when I get annoyed from a friend I told her "I don't want to talk to you" and without me noticing, I find myself texting or talking to her and only after that I remember "Ohh I forgot that I said that I don't want to talk to you". We can't be apart from each other as a group. Unfortunately for us, this semester, fate tore us apart. Even though I have one friend from my group in my classes,the feeling of being with all the group is different, I feel that a part of me is missing, a lot of smiles and joys are missing, I feel that I'm lifeless although  a day would rarely pass without texting each other through Whats-app, but my group being physically around in the next chairs tastes very different! I am glad to have such amazing friends hoping that our friendship will continue to be that intimate and close and never get scattered! 

Engage Your Students with Real-World Projects Webinar

The 12^th of March was the date I attended my first Webinar, I really enjoyed that experience of listening to the lecture while taking notes and sharing some ideas in the chat while also following up with my friend. The Webinar was beneficial as well as the chat that was going there with professionals sharing their experiences and ideas for making projects relevant to students. The presenter "Suzie Boss" began by saying that "the longer students stay in the school, the less engaged they are in the learning process. Among students who describe school as boring, a key complaint is a lack of relevance". The first tip to make students engaged in the project is to make "headlines as a hook", to teach what is currently happening in our community or the world around us but a key for that is to choose or even to show them different topic and let them choose which topics do they find interesting or gets them curious as a basis to design your authentic real world projects. Second tip is to know what makes a project worthy to give time, does it encourage critical thinking? Does it have a long term value? Does it generate a high interest? Could it connect to your standards? Third tip is to design right sized projects that are accessible, actionable, big enough to matter and small enough to tackle, also you have to pay attention to the process; helping students understand the problem deeply, build background knowledge and making meaning of the learning, also to the context by letting students to engage in work outside the classroom and finally the application in which they take what they learn and apply it in some authentic situation, sharing the product with authentic audience and being assessed in some authentic way. Fourth, the project should raise the students Awareness and allow them to raise others awareness, Advocacy by suggesting solutions to some real problems and Action which are the possible outcomes from the meaningful project.  Fifth, you should give students Voice and Choice in how they are going to express their understanding, don't give them the same project you gave the year before, but you should let them choose what they going to advocate for? Which audience do they want to reach? And what type of project do they want to do?. The presenter presented may examples of good real world project as well as the ones who were attending proposed a good projects that worked out.  

Cloud Computing Seminar

Last week I attended a seminar at LIU, the seminar was entitled "Cloud Computing" in which Cloud computing is defined as a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications.  Clouds serve as a modern and more useful replacement for floppy disks, CDs and flash memories. Clouds such as: Google Drive, One Drive, I Cloud and Drop Box, can be used on desktops, mobile phones and tablets allowing easier access and modification for the data at anytime, plus clouding insures a more secure storage of data (no viruses), can save your time  downloading documents since files can be viewed directly from the cloud, and thus reducing the load on your device by allowing more free space and consequently enabling your device to work faster. In the other hand, uploading also will take less time especially if you are sending a file for several emails, then you upload one file and share it with all by providing the link or allowing whom you want to view or edit your file. A very important advantage is that by using a cloud you can print whatever documents you want by only a press without a need to connect wires or to  approach the printer. The drawbacks of this technique, is that that administrators of the clouds can view or even delete your data, but you can avoid this problem by downloading "Boxcryptor" that permits you to put another password to insure that your info won't be accessed

Do NOT Teach a Starving Man to Fish

It's claimed that the old saying "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" is wrong, since when a person is starving, that's not the time to fill their head with knowledge. The right thing to do is  first to give the person a fish - drive out their hunger - and only after that , you can teach them to fish. Unlike  what most people do, they see someone who is struggling, and they rush to offer wisdom, saying, "Let me tell you what I'd do in your position". Few of us value their psychological state, which affect their understanding negatively and thus their ability to think straight. What we should do instead of offering a struggling people long-term advice is to help them regain their equilibrium. Once this happens... once their ears, heart and mind open. This is what Maslow showed in the pyramid of human needs if the  basic physiological needs weren't satisfied a person can't progress to meet the other needs and here the problem solving need "self-actualization need" as shown in the pyramid in the right side. What do think of that old
?saying? Do you find it right or wrong 

The New Shopping Trend

Online shopping is one of the benefits that the new technologies and internet offers; it facilitates the shopping process and makes it more easy and interesting. There are many causes why people shop online, such as saving time for the people who use it, so that they can purchase many items ,which might take extended hours to purchase with the traditional shopping way, in few minutes. The second cause is that online shopping allows the customer to shop wherever he was; in any spot in the world and at any time he wishes. The consumer can choose from a variety of brands and items while sitting still on the comfort sofa without making any effort. Online shopping also allows its user to get better prices and offers; one

can make comparison between prices and offers in the various online shopping sites much easier, and therefore allowing the customer to get the best price and best offers. At the end, the online shopping offers many benefits for the customer, but still some customers prefer to shop with the traditional way, moving between stores and observing the items directly to avoid mismatching of the items with the pictures that might occur in the online shopping. What about you? What do you prefer? Do you have any online shopping experience? 

Our Most Precious Resource

If I told you put big rocks in a bucket. Would it be full? Now add some stones in around the big rock. Is it full? Add sand in and give it a shake. Is it full? How about adding WATER? Now it’s full. The point is that you do still have time for stones, sand and water besides your main job or task; you can communicate with your family and friends while attending classes, going to your job, and sharing in some voluntary work and still being able to succeed in ALL of them, if and only if you manage your time properly.

You should keep in mind that we as “human beings” are made up of some hours, and when those hours vanish they can’t be repeated. Although some things can be delayed, but at the end there’s a deadline and a death time. So make sure that you do all what you have to do before that!

We can sense the value of time at the end of the semester, when we are squeezed with lots of assignments, make ups and finals. Then, we wish we have more time, so that we can accomplish more. But unfortunately the time is fixed and can’t be changed.

This importance of time was realized by a knowledgeable man when he saw a man who was selling ice while saying “Have mercy on whom his capital is melting!” This man was losing money with the passage of every minute; which is to speed up the melting of the ice.  A more familiar example is the grocery seller, where the passage of the day worsens the quality of his grocery and thus lowering its price.

This importance of the time should be applied by real actions. You should make use of each minute in your day by determining the task you want to do and setting the exact time needed to be accomplished. And most importantly, avoid everything that wastes your time, such as your cell phones, the TV and social media networks. CONTROL THEM and don’t let the control you!

Finally, Regretting will only bear hopelessness, if it wasn't followed by an actual action to avoid falling in the same mistake again. As Orman quoted “you can’t make up for the lost time. You can only do better in the future!”

127 Hours

127 hours that are 5 days for most people are just as other days that go whiteout having a single thought of death and survival. But, as I was watching “127 Hours” film I get to recognize more what an ordinary adventure that is supposed to be enjoyable could make and bring all death thoughts and struggles.

One day morning, Aron got out alone on his bike to explore the canyon without leaving a note or telling anyone where he was heading. That day at the peak afternoon he fell down in a canyon, so his hand was wedged between the rock, that fell with him, and the canyon wall. He made many tries to pull out his wedged hand and to move the rock but all his attempts turned out to be unsuccessful; he tried to call out for help many times, he also tried to chip of the rock so that he can free his hand but that was again unsuccessful. He spent all that 127 hours (more than 5 days) with his limited supplies making tries to get his hand free and hoping for someone to rescue him.  Water became a major issue for him; he packed for a day-trip not a week. During these 5 days, Aron was videotaping good byes with his video camera and recalling the old videos while reflecting in all major things he’d done in life. With all that difficulties he went through and the bad weather conditions, he was determinant on getting out and finally he succeeded by cutting his hand and freeing himself. 

While I was watching the film I was wondering if such a movie could be based on a real story and then it turned out to be REAL!! It’s the story of the outdoor adventurer Aron Ralston that happened in April 2003.  That was really shocking! A man who came face to face with his own mortality caused me to reflect again on life. How life could be very miserable and tough for some people and very luxurious for others at the same time, even you’re the closest to your heart might be enjoying their life without knowing that you are in your most terrible moments. What would I do if I was trapped like Aron, while I many times refuse to eat because I didn't like the food, how about not having food and drink at all! Would I be able to do what Aron did! I bet that But I surely should in such cases.  Aron symbolizes the hope of life. His courage and determination in the face of adversity are a proof to what we can do if we do not give up hope.

Burn Problems Not Tires!!

Lebanon is suffering from many crucial difficulties that threaten its economy and lead to undesirable consequences. One of these serious problems is the association of protests and strikes with burning tires that became one of the indispensable ways in which people try to express their opinions and vent their rage against the government.

The issue of burning tires is becoming more and more spread in Lebanon to the extent you rarely find a protest without fires being burned. This act usually is done by youths who think that by such an act they would look as “heroes” for they are controlling the street and cutting the ways of the passers. Burning tires has great impacts on community health, environment and society. 

This act has a detrimental impact on community health and the integrity of the surrounding. It can cause several diseases and infections, such as respiratory problems, wheezing, coughing and physical discomfort. Also, the toxic pollutants that it produces harm the plants and the agriculture. Besides, road closure might paralyze the country economically by damaging public and individual properties, plus it adds more wastes to the roads and thus giving an unpleasant and an undeveloped image of that place and protests generally.

On an attempt to solve such a problem, spreading awareness is one of the main actions that can be taken to reduce the rates of burning tires.

When a tire burner will be aware of what he is doing and that this act might kill people around him indirectly, by polluting the environment, and when he understands that he is violating the simplest rules of protest, he will start believing that taking care of the nature will guarantee him longer and healthier life. This spreading of awareness can be done through holding awareness campaigns in schools and universities or simply through social media such as Facebook; by showing how creative products or items can be made out of tires:design a beautiful handmade table or chair, use tires as planting pots, or build steady stairs on a hill using tires. Such cheap and easy-to-make products can be used in every house to facilitate our daily lives, which shall motivate the youth to benefit from used tires by transforming them into useful products.

At the end, one hand can’t clap alone, so with the cooperation of each individual, creativity will appear to help solve any problem. Everyone is responsible for spreading awareness of burning tires among people and drawing their attention to how useful recycled tires can be. Indeed, taking care of the nature will guarantee longer and healthier life for all. What do you think of this kind of protest? What else can be done to reduce such kinds of protest?

Teach Before You Test

each time a teacher wants to test students s/he should ask himself/herself “did I teach the students this or the strategy to solve such exam or activity”. This is a huge problem that many teachers fall in; we assume that students should know things without really finding out if they know them! I as teacher should teach my students listening skills, reading skills, speaking skills, writing skills, exam taking skills, group or pair working skills and many other skills before I test them! These skills are not innate for the students to have by their own, but they are acquired and we are the ones who are supposed to teach them such skills. Whenever we teach a skill, we should assess that particular skill by formative and summative assessment and take into consideration the results of those assessments as feedback for the teacher; if he/s/he met his/her objectives or not, and if not then what should be done to get the desired results. Such step is vital for the process of the teacher progress and development.

I'm Not a Teacher, But an Awakener!

The teacher is the one who gives you the keys to knowledge, and you are the one who has to cut your path and reach to were you want to be. You should believe in your dreams, protect them and always strive to achieve them and once some are fulfilled ,you'll create more to be fulfilled. Thus, the teacher is the first one to enlighten and awaken your first dream, without a teacher you wouldn't be able to read these few lines nor you can reach what you've reached in your educational journey. Teachers can enrich a young generation of children so that the future is a safe, secure and great place to live in for every person in the society.  The good teacher who truly cares about his or her job will definitely have a great effect on his or her students. A student will become significantly more interested in learning if his or her teacher is really invested in teaching the subject matters. If a teacher finds a way to engage his or her students in an interesting yet informative manner then all of this teacher's students will certainly develop a thirst for learning and acquiring knowledge, thus they will strive to achieve their dreams which contributes to building a better generation and more advanced society.